25-year-old influencer dies while on vacation with six of her friends

Shanquella Robinson, known as an influencer in her community in Charlotte, North Carolina, lost her life to a senseless act of violence. While the details are still unclear of the motive behind the physical assault that she adhered to by her “friends,” many social media users took to her defense and claimed jealousy was the driving factor. 

The chilling details of who out of the six friends is mainly responsible for the injuries is up for debate. Because the video footage of Shanquella being assaulted by her friends was leaked by a member of the group, many people have decided that this was indeed a gesture to further humiliate the deceased by allowing her final moments to be replayed and re-lived, a trophy of some sort to wave around and say “I got away with murder!”

What does Shanquella’s case showcase about our current culture of social media? The court of public opinion has voted that the Cabo 6 are guilty. Because of modern technology and the investigative skills of this current generation, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter reach a verdict far before the court does. Is this a ruthless means of cyberbullying via this generation or an innovative step towards a new culture of legal accountability?