Suspect in Facebook video murder kills self in Pennsylvania

The man who police said posted a video of himself on Facebook killing an elderly man shot and killed himself after a “brief pursuit” by Pennsylvania State Police officers on Tuesday, police said.

Steve Stephens was accused of shooting Robert Godwin Sr., 74, on a Cleveland sidewalk on Sunday before fleeing in a car and uploading a video of the murder to Facebook, becoming the subject of a nationwide manhunt.

Pennsylvania State Police said officers saw Stephens in Erie County on Tuesday morning. “After a brief pursuit, Stephens shot and killed himself,” the police said on Twitter, providing no further details.

Stephens, who had no prior criminal record, was not suspected in any other killings, Cleveland officials had said. Cleveland police were due to give more details at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.

The shooting marked the latest video clip of a violent crime to turn up on Facebook, raising questions about how the world’s biggest social media network moderates content.

The company on Monday said it would review how it monitors violent footage and other objectionable material in response to the killing. The shooting video was visible on Facebook for nearly two hours before it was reported, the company said.

Stephens is not believed to have known Godwin, a retired foundry worker who media reports said spent Easter Sunday morning with his son and daughter-in-law before he was killed.

In interviews before Stephens’ death, Godwin’s relatives said they forgave his killer.

“I forgive him because we are all sinners,” Robby Miller, Godwin’s son, said in an interview with CNN.

source: Alarabiya