’13 Reasons Why’ Season 2 Red Carpet Event Canceled ‘In Light Of’ Santa Fe High School Shooting
In a modest and reserved mood, Netflix announced the cancellation of tonight’s red carpet premiere for the second season of 13 Reasons Why, a popular offering from the streaming service that drew controversy for its take on teen suicide. In a short statement delivered by Netflix, they lay clear the motivation for the cancellation of the event.
“Our hearts are with the victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting, and with all victims of gun violence. In light of today’s tragedy, we are cancelling the ’13 Reasons Why’ S2 premiere event tonight.”
With 10 declared dead and a community in mourning following the brutal attack at Sante Fe High School in Texas according to the CBC, it is assuredly the most appropriate course of action at this time.
The cast members of the show were effusive in their support, taking to Twitter to share their feelings.
During a time of great mourning for the nation and in particular the people of Sante Fe, Netflix and the cast of 13 Reasons Why chose the path of compassion in showing respect for the victims of today’s tragedy.
The suspected shooter, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, was described by the CBC as a loner who wore black boots and a trench coat to school – an image that immediately summons the Columbine shootings and the two students who perpetrated similar atrocities previous in 1999. The BBC reports witnesses describing Pagourtzis as having been bullied by school coaches for “smelling bad” and that he had an antisocial disposition. CNN reports that Pagourtzis’ social media post as of April 30, 2018 displays a black t-shirt bearing white letters simply reading “BORN TO KILL” and that his display picture is the album cover of French electronica artist Perturbator’s Dangerous Days. One track from that album is entitled “Humans Are Such Easy Prey.”
Details are still developing on the personality of the suspect as well as their motivation for moving forward with an atrocity.
As the second season of the show airs, each episode of 13 Reasons Why is prefaced with a brief warning, actors from the show describing the potentially traumatizing narrative of the show and the episode following. As awareness and dialogue surrounding violence and gun violence in particular seems to grow in size and sentiment with each passing week, there can be little doubt that there is a deep desire for a new solution, or at least any solution, to these seemingly endless stories of sadness, families and communities torn apart by acts of deep-seated hatred.
