Maren Sanchez, a successful high school student was murdered by a fellow student, Christopher Plaskon, because she refused to go to prom with him.

It happened April 25th in a stairwell at Jonathan Law High School in Connecticut. Around 7:15 AM Plaskon begged Sanchez to go to prom with him— to which she respectfully declined his offer. Upon hearing the news he stabbed her multiple times in the chest, the face and the neck – leaving her dead at the scene.

Like any and all murders that occur at school or on campus, students were shocked and disturbed because many of us tend to think of school as a safe haven.

“Yeah, when I first heard about the case I was stunned and a little scared. This could really happen to anyone,” said Samantha Butler, a student at Bob Jones.

Like Samantha said, this could happen to anyone—and it does.

Not only is Plaskon to blame for his actions, but, we can also blame “male entitlement“. For those of you who don’t know, society grooms young men into thinking that they deserve the “hottest girl” for example, or the “nicest car” as a reward for being…”men”.

But, when these over exaggerated plans go south and entitled men don’t get what they want or, what they think they deserve, they snap. Male entitlement is the exact reason why things like rape and abuse happen— and, in some cases, murder.

In this situation, Maren Sanchez was not a person—she was an object. Christopher acted as though she belonged to him and when she turned him down he got angry and stabbed her.

Allegedly, Plaskon and Sanchez dated briefly in middle school, then, faded apart in high school as Sanchez began dating someone new. Thus, showcasing the objectification of Sanchez, Plaskon’s mentality centered on the “if I can’t have her no one can” point of view.

Another alarming fact is that the media is portraying this act of savagery on Plaskon’s part as a “dispute between two high school students”.

[Sarcastically] Yes, because Sanchez’s refusal to go to prom with Plaskon is unfair. I see, because Plaskon should always get what he wants…because he’s male! [Sarcasm continues…] Yes! Because she refused him it is automatically an altercation and both sides are wrong in this case! Right?

No.

At this very moment a 16 year old girl is lying in a grave somewhere because an immature, self-entitled teenage boy cannot handle his emotions.

And if that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what can.