In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Wesleyan women’s rights activist shot and killed

Jill

Johanna Justin-Jinich, a Wesleyan student, was shot and killed yesterday by Stephen Morgan, a man who had been harassing and possibly stalking her. He walked into the bookstore where she worked and shot her. He has not yet been apprehended, and may be targeting Jewish communities.

Justin-Jinich was a Planned Parenthood volunteer whose passions included writing and her work in public health and women’s issues; she was supposed to work in DC this summer for a women’s rights organization.

She sounds like she was an amazing young woman who will be very missed.

Thanks to Matt for the link.

22 thoughts on Wesleyan women’s rights activist shot and killed

  1. it is always such a shame to lose someone so young, especially someone working for change. anyone who says women are equal and don’t need further rights or protection are kidding themselves. if that were true, tragedies like this wouldn’t happen…

  5. This makes me so angry. Especially this: “Sources said that Morgan and Justin-Jinich knew each other from Colorado although they are still trying to determine the depth of the relationship or why Morgan decided to drive across the country to kill her.”

    Anyone who has ever had someone fixate on them could tell you, it in no way was her fault that some psycho decided to kill her.

  6. I’m just waiting for the headline that follows this one:

    Weslayan Killer Allegedly Dumped Horribly by Victim, Sources Reveal

  8. Wow that’s really freaking sad. If anybody you know is being stalked please tell them to take it seriously I have a cop in my family and I hear some freaky stuff. Tell them to get a protective order and get a gun license and training for heaven’s sake!

  9. Johanna’s father is my family doctor, and a wonderful man. What a senseless tragedy…

  10. I send my condolences go out to Johanna’s family and friends. A young person cut down before her time is always a tragedy, but this is a really devastating tragedy. We all deserve to be safe at school and work.

    For real y’all—I am so damn tired of hearing these stories about men killing women, killing students, killing children and family, killing co-workers—so tired and sick of it all. When will folks get the freaking message about misogynist violence? How many times must we hear about predatory fiends who go on mass killing sprees before we start taking women’s safety and well-being seriously? When?

    Do women deserve a safe existence or not? Do we?

  11. I went to high school with Johanna, and even though we were never close, I remember her being exceptionally bright and kind. It doesn’t surprise me to know that she was working for positive social change.

    I don’t know if she was a Quaker (the school we attended was), and even though I’m not, I do think it’s important to “hold her friends and family in the light”.

  13. This is just one of the most horrible things I have heard. I’ve had the honour of getting to know her sister. She too is a wonderful women’s right activist.

    I just don’t know what else to say, this is just really really terrible. deepest and dearest condolences to the family.

  14. Oh god, my heart goes out to her friends and family, it’s always a tragedy when such lights in the world go out.

  15. I am really not trying to start something on this thread, but this has been eating at me for a bit (and please please delete this comment if it comes off as inappropriate or provoking, that’s not my intention at all)
    but Question (@8), I feel like this is probably the wrong thread to be saying “get a gun” to anyone. I know people have a right to protect themselves– especially if they are being threatened, absolutely– and I’m not trying to get into a gun control discussion, but I just feel like this isn’t the greatest of places to mention it. A gun was a huge part of this terrible crime, let us not forget.
    I feel the same with That Bastard Erik @7, probably the wrong place to be leaving a comment that is violent in nature.
    I’m not saying anything about wrong or right, I’m saying that there’s been enough violence already and it may be considered inappropriate to promote more, even in speculation.

  16. My heart goes out to the family of this beautiful young woman. I am so very, very sorry to hear about this. My heart aches for you, so very deeply. Your daughter’s memory will live on in my mind, one of the brave women that fought for change. How horrible and pointless that it came to this. I hope it’s all right if I say some prayers for you. You are all in my heart.

  17. This is terrible. And it makes me think about how our society still doesn’t take stalking very seriously – in many instances, if not most.

  20. Anon, read the linke article. It says that she was a Planned Parenthood volunteer whose passions included her work in women’s issues, and that she was going to work on Capitol Hill this summer for a women’s organzation.

  21. i am so sick of this!

    if this guy had stalked a *man* cross country, the police would be searching a lot harder and it would be a bigger story.

    but this kick-ass woman… gone. ANOTHER one… and it will, of course, turn out to have somehow been her fault, she “made” him do this! *scream*

    gods, i am sick of this narritive, sick of innocent people being stalked harrased and killed, sick of sick fuckers thinking that they have the right to do anything they want as long as its “only” to a woman.

  22. denalian,

    I understand your frustration but I do not think it is relevant to this case. It actually received nationwide attention and was even on the front page of nbc.com as well as america’s most wanted.

    I live in Middletown and attend Wesleyan University and I will say that the police WERE looking really hard. They did a commendable job searching as well as protecting the wesleyan community in case of further attacks.

    I was worried when the media dialogue was centered around their past relationship but am glad that now it is much more focused on Morgan’s life.

    Regardless, This was an unfortunate tragedy.

Comments are currently closed.