Many individuals treat social media outlets as a personal diary, venting frustrations and sharing all but the most embarrassing moments. Yet sometimes people abuse social media to start personal wars, some of which can turn deadly.

In my personal experience, I’ve seen friendships shattered because of a simple status update on Facebook. I’ve seen relatives fight with one another, and I’ve seen how individuals can be so judgmental just because one person offers a different view on life, religion or even more mundane topics like food preferences.

It’s easy enough to unfollow those we disagree with on social media platforms, but are all social media arguments really so harmless? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Tweets, posts and other status updates on social media have actually led directly to death in many instances.

Life ends in a snap

Sixteen-year-old Matthew Fischer from Mt. Pleasant, SC, was charged with fatally stabbing 17-year-old Lucas Cavanaugh after an altercation that involved social media. According to court documents, Fischer went to his girlfriend’s house where he saw a Snapchat message sent by Cavanaugh to his girlfriend’s iPod. Though the content of the message was not revealed, it apparently angered Fischer, who then used his girlfriend’s iPod to send a message to Cavanaugh telling him, “Come over” and “I’ll kill you man.”

Cavanaugh arrived at the residence where he and Fischer began fighting. Fischer stabbed Cavanaugh in the torso, killing him. Fischer was later apprehended and confessed to the crime.

Poked to death

A Facebook poke is a pretty harmless feature, doing little more than alerting another user to your presence. Unfortunately, poking and drinking isn’t a good combination, as exemplified by what happened to buddies Scott Humphrey and Richard Rovetto. After partying one night and during a cab ride home, the two got into a heated argument.

Humphrey asked Rovetto, “If you’re such a good friend, why did you poke my missus?” Rovetto answered that he was not aware that it was Humphrey’s girlfriend that he poked, which angered Humphrey more. Humphrey repeatedly punched Rovetto, and when they got out of the cab, Humphrey delivered a fatal blow that resulted in Rovetto hitting his head on the pavement. Humphrey fled the scene but later surrendered himself to the authorities.

Give me back MySpace!

Hughstan Schlicker used the Internet, particularly MySpace, to communicate with his friends. So when his father Ted Schlicker restricted his use of the Internet and the social site, Hughstan went berserk. Finding a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition in the family’s garage, Hughstan contemplated committing suicide in front of his father but changed his mind and decided to kill his father first and then commit suicide.

Hughstan snuck up on his father and shot him, but before committing suicide, he contacted a female friend and informed her of what happened. He was convinced not to commit suicide and face the consequences of his actions.

I’m gonna tweet you up!

Jameg Blake and Kwame Dancy were childhood friends both living in Lenox Terrace in Central Harlem. They had a falling out over a girl, and the rift only got worse because of Twitter. According to reports, the two exchanged heated words on Twitter, and their friends, instead of helping patch things up, egged them more.

What started in Twitter ended in a shotgun blast to the neck. Blake allegedly shot Dancy and then later went to the hospital where Dancy was brought. Witnesses identified Blake as the gunman.

Wanted: Killer

Craigslist is a classified ads website that also offers personal ad space for people who are looking to meet others based on a common interest. Tiara Pool, a Navy wife who had a troubled relationship with her husband, met David Kelsey Sparre who answered her personal ad on Craigslist. They agreed to meet in person.

Though Pool may have hoped for a sexual tryst, Sparre had a different plan in mind — he wanted to commit murder. And that’s what he did. Upon investigation, Sparre stated that he killed Pool for the rush as he wanted to try something “just to see how it felt.” He also added that he enjoyed doing it and wanted to do it again. Sparre declined to be defended in court.

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