A French social media app is coming under increasing fire after a number of teens explained they reported Salvador Ramos.
The teen who killed 19 students and two teachers Tuesday at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, repeatedly threatened other users on Yubo. According to a Sky News report, one 17-year-old girl gave a chilling account of her encounters with the Texas gunman.
The British publication explained it was withholding the teenager’s identity but verified her story.
She expressed anger over Yubo’s lack of action, because she reportedly believes a check of his mobile phone might have kept him from being able to buy guns. The girl said she and others, including some friends, repeatedly reported Ramos’ account for hate speech and harassment. She said Yubo’s response was limited to automated replies.
“He would just harass people,” she said. “He would threaten rape and kidnapping and murder.”
She added she was shocked, but unsurprised, by news of the Uvalde, Texas, attack, explaining he was nicknamed “Yubo’s school shooter.”
“People would join lives and be like, ‘Oh, hey, look it’s Yubo’s school shooter,’” she continued, adding, “he never tried to shut down that nickname, he seemed almost proud of it, you know?”
The unidentified teen described how others on the app would chastise him when he joined their live feeds, telling him to get out. They would reportedly say how the girls on Yubo were not interested in him and call him names.
“I’m not going to lie, he was bullied on the app,” she said. “It’s almost a high school community. There are losers, there are popular people there. It’s weird to explain. Like when he would join lives most people would say ‘Yubo’s school shooter’ [because] he was known as being weird.”
“It’s a sad fact that it could have been stopped,” she lamented. “It really could have.”
The Sky News report included screen grabs showing a Valentine’s Day text exchange between Ramos and the 17-year-old. He told her he would worship her. After she did not respond to his declaration, he told her to “go jump off a bridge.”
Ramos discovered her real name and phone number after that exchange and sent her a threatening text message. He greeted her by saying “Hi,” followed by her name, which was blurred by the publication.
“Are you going to ask how I got your number,” he asked her?
“Answer me,” he demanded after she did not respond, adding, “You’re going to regret not doing what I say.”
“BiggestOpp here :),” he concluded, signing off using his Yubo screen name.
This is an excerpt from NewsSky.
