In September, a 22-year-old white woman named Gabby Petito was reported missing by her family. A few months earlier, she had set off in a camper van she renovated with her high school sweetheart, Brian Laundrie, to explore the wild spaces of the American West. She updated her Instagram as she went with smiling photos of herself and Laundrie, framed by canyons and lit by sunsets, and touched base with her family back east every few days.
“The police picked him up from his high school after a terrified student told her principal he had threatened to slit her throat. She showed them his Instagram, where he had posted pictures of the Charleston Church shooter with the word “hero” underneath it, and a picture of their science lab with the caption “Columbine 2.0”.
“The tragedies in Connecticut and Colorado have reignited much discussion about gun control and mental health resources. Some people see restricting access to firearms as the most effective measure in preventing these tragedies.
