Social media feud leads four teens to run over popular librarian after beating up son
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| Suzette Penton |
Four teens in Polk City Florida are now charged with the murder of a popular librarian named Suzette Penton this week. The teens, ages 14, 15, 16 and 18, two boys and two girls, ran Suzette over in a church van after assaulting her son who had previously dated one of the offending teens. After Ms. Penton's teenage son broke up with one of the girls, the the two kids continued to trash each other on social media for months. Finally the the ex-girlfriend convinced her new boyfriend and her other friends to drive to the Penton house to beat up her ex-boyfriend. The 18 year old new boyfriend named Elijah Stansell drove them to the Penton house in a church van, which he was able to get from his dad who was a pastor at a local church. Suzette Penton and her younger child ran out to the store leaving the older son at home. The group of kids waiting in the van watched her leave, and then went up to the house to attack the ex-boyfriend. When the Penton boy came out, the group beat him up and also stole things from the house. While this was going on, Suzette Penton came back from the store. She saw what was happening and ran to take pictures of the kids that attacked her son and the van they were driving. As she stood in front of the van. the Elijah Stansell, drove the van right over the librarian and then backed up to run her over again. Unfortunately for the four teens, video cameras and witnesses observed the whole incident. One witness got in his car and followed the van as it drove away from the crime scene, calling the police and staying with the van until the police took over. Now Elijah is in prison and since Suzette Penton sadly died in the hospital this week, he will now be on trial for murder. Meanwhile the three younger teens who are in juvenile detention, will reportedly be tried as adults now that Ms. Penton has passed away due to their actions. What began as a silly conflict on social media has now become murder.
Questions: Do teens often trash talk each other on social media over silly issues? Can these online conflicts lead to physical confrontations? What are the lessons from this incident for us?
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| The four teens and Suzette Penton and her son |
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