“A manhunt is underway for a gunman accused of fatally shooting a man in Ohio while broadcasting the cold-blooded homicide on Facebook Live on Easter Sunday,” nydailynews.com reports. “Steve Stephens shot and killed 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. (above) at 635 E. 93rd St., around 2 p.m., the Cleveland Police Department said. Stephens is believed to be armed and dangerous, police said. Police Chief Calvin Williams called the shooting ‘senseless’ and is urging Stephens to turn himself in.” The video of the random execution has been removed, but still images are cruising around the internet. Sick stuff.

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80 COMMENTS

    • Is this shooter evil? I’d say we’re all in agreement that at the moment he pulled the trigger he absolutely was. So here’s the question that few in any media outlet will ask: was he evil BEFORE he obtained a gun, or only afterward?

        • Oh, no, friend. This is central to the argument the anti-gunners use.

          If the gun itself is evil, and makes good people do bad things, then the antis can justify about any restriction, prohibition or outright ban they can imagine. (And if a gun could actually make someone evil, I’d agree with them.)

          If, on the other hand, a gun is simply a tool, and we are free agents acting of our own accord, well then, the antis must face the fact that some people do bad things of their own free will. Call it evil, call it their upbringing, call it whatever you like; if the gun is just a tool, the problem is rooted in the person, not the object. And that is anathama to them.

        • No one, it’s not central to any anti argument I have heard. While you make an interesting point few anti s 2a people believe guns are evil talisman that turn good people bad. Rather most arguments are against access to a tool that enables a bad person to multiple his/her evil intentions(or in some cases realize it). This would be seen as a boost for the access theory. To the anti 2a better no one own a gun then risk tragedy by those who misuse and abuse it.

        • Actually, Joe, some antis do make that exact argument. The theory is that the mere presence of a firearm triggers increased aggression in those nearby. They even have academic research going back some thirty years to support their position. Mother Jones magazine ran article on this topic in 2015. Check it out.

  2. I understand the need for law enforcement to fully investigate such situations, but in the meantime my fallback position is that you can’t always believe that the shit people put on the internet is real.

    • So the positively identified shooting/murder victim found by police as depicted in the video is some kind of hoax?

    • considering the man hunt is in 5 states, and shooter has said he will continue to kill until two demands are met and he’s driving a white ford fusion, with temp. lic. plate E363630. does that provide you enough evidence that this was real. cause obviously the dead body was not enough.

  3. A few details would be helpful. Am I to understand that this psycho, while filming himself, just walked up to an old man and shot him out of the blue? I wonder what his thinking was, that he wouldn’t get caught? That would be hard to believe. I mean, he has already convicted himself of first degree murder, what’s the next move? Suicide? Suicide by cop? Or will he “happily” trundle off to prison for the rest of his life? Why would someone want to go that route?

    • He’s “projecting”. Turning his lifetime of self-hatred and failure ‘outward’ on the rest of the world. You see, his stupid life is no longer his fault. It’s ours. Now he’s ‘punishing’ us for it.

      • My thoughts exactly Tim, regardless of whether the shooter is evil, he is projecting his failings on society. He knows he’ll be plastered all over the place for his actions, which he probably- twistedly- views as a success. Ironically, perpetuated by the people he blames for his failures.

    • “Why would someone want to go that route?”

      He may have just wanted his ’15 minuets of fame’ on the way out.

      Thanks a lot, Andy Warhol, for your contribution to a society where ‘fame’ at any price should be an aspired life’s goal…

      • Andy Warhol didn’t shoot anyone. And you never found him advocating for gun control. Instead he made some very works based off the same gun that was used to wound him.

      • Warhol only said that in the future, everyone would be famous for fifteen minutes. It was a prediction, not an exhortation. Made 40 years before social media as we know it, it turns out he was right.

    • I unfortunately saw the video, and that is precisely what happened. Some people are simply evil.

    • Mark, you are trying to apply sane rational thought to an insane irrational equation. It’s never going to add up. It looks like this evil bastard was trying to hurt his ex by making her feel at fault for his actions. The victim was apparently just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

      Truly cold evil psychopaths like this exist. In some odd ways I think it might be good for some naive people to see that horrific video. Sometimes the existence of evil just doesn’t register with sane gentle people till they see it firsthand.

      I don’t think he’s that concerned about getting caught. He is either long gone from the area or he went and killed himself. I would not be surprised if he is found nearby with an entry and exit wound to his head.

      • “Sometimes the existence of evil just doesn’t register with sane gentle people till they see it firsthand.”

        Sometimes? Seeing no evil is the default position of the Left and most liberals.

        In complete truth, Leftists direct their hate at people who fight evil. Leftists don’t hate communists, rather they hate people who fight communisim(evil).

    • You say all this as if it doesn’t happen regularly. The only difference here is that he posted a video of it.

      • Exactly.
        The difference here is that murder is a lot more murdery when it’s not sanitised by the media. I wonder if this will finally be the end of FB Live; as if multiple FB Live’d Chiraq shootings, worldwide gang-rapes, torture sessions, and jihadi shit on top of that, weren’t enough.

        I feel for that poor old salt & his family; I hope they get to watch his executioner get executed with extreme prejudice live on TV, and not in a lethal injection viewing room (assuming he even gets condemned to die).

    • Mark N.,

      The killer is just plain a sick, evil, violent, murderous sociopath. According to his video before and after he murdered that one particular victim, he (paraphrasing) “reached his breaking point and snapped” and decided to go “kill as many people as possible until someone stops him”.

      As we always seem to see with sociopaths, he blames other people for his actions … his girlfriend, his mom, other people in his life. This is one seriously evil person and I hope and pray that someone takes him down immediately if not sooner.

  4. Wise money says Islamic beliefs. Saw Cleveland local tv actually photoshop “whiten ” his picture before posting, I am not lying! What a sad day for that poor family of victim and the community. Innocent old man walking down the street for groceries and then this! Prayers to victim’s family please

    • Dude, that’s probably one of the stupidest things I’ve seen. Try reading some news stories on what happened. The psycho murdered an innocent man to try and punish his ex-girlfriend.

      • And I suppose she called off the wedding because of his devout christianity? It is possible, don’t get me wrong, but apparently the facebook page was panic scrubbed in unprecedented time and we both know what that usually means.

        • What? Maybe she called off the wedding because he’s an abusive psychopath? You can be those without being a ‘scarrry mooslim’

          And of course the FB page was scrubbed, as it always is in cases where you have a murderer trying to use it to do stuff like broadcast his crimes. Again, what are you on about?

        • Well you can’t visit the cair center that many times and not be a muslim. And facebook doesn’t scrub alot of crap, even when the courts theeaten them;

          https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/news/uk/791674/Facebook-The-Times-investigation-child-porn-jihadi-videos/amp

          They also left the beta male killer, and dylan roof up for just long enough to get copied, but this guy and flannigan got the lightning treatment, they are even still hiding flannigan’s racist manifesto. So yeah that’s what I’m on about.

        • It was gambling; apparently he lost everything, that’s why she left. I hate to break it to you but not every evil act in the world is due to islamic extremism.

    • Even if your photoshop comment is true, are you seriously trying to say that anyone with a little color is a Muslim? Or that anyone who commits murder is a Muslim? Do you have any actual proof of your claims besides your own self-righteous prejudices?

    • OK, I admit it was a frustrated response, as in “WHY?” I was not intending to go overboard; the fact is he does have connections with CAIR in Cleveland and has gone there frequently, Neither his faith, or lack thereof is a reason to justify his actions. Nor his color. I do stand by my statement as I have the screen cap of that local TV station, but don’t know how to post it.It says he has “Dark White Skin” to quote it.

      But, the bottom line is that neither factor may be involved, he is a serial killer by his own admission and is a very weak individual, emotionally. Blames his situation on his gf, his gambling, his momma, everyone but himself.
      Word today is that he is now in Philadelphia. If he was looking for a suicide by cop, as thought, he probably would have remained in greater Cleveland.

  6. This is sick even for Ohio. The shooter seems like a whiney, self important slob, well beneath the usual underworld.

    • So what’s normal for Ohio? Being the meth capital of the world? Keeping women locked in your basement and grinding them into sausages?

        • JWM – well a goodly proportion of the residences are of the manufactured variety, if you know what I mean, so those we don’t have to worry about. But still probably a couple million… 🙁

          Seriousely, nobody freak, I’m kidding, I’d live in a double-wide if it worked out.

  7. Evil. Just plain evil thing to do. Horrifyingly so. I hope the shooter finds himself dying a very painful, lingering death very soon.

  8. The shooter posted several videos. In at least one, he made reference to other murders “before” and provides locations but not dates. He said either thirteen or fourteen.

    If he did that over time rather than in a single day, that would make him a serial killer who simply outed himself and went public.

    If it’s all horse-hockey (and there is a substantial probability it is) he’s still got at least one murder on his soul.

  9. I am finding it hard to believe that the authorities, to this point in time, have not been able to track the cell-phone and the towers it has touched; he may have cut it off or destroyed it.

    No matter what, there is no where for him to go. If he turns himself in, tax payers foot the bill for the trial, then continue to pay for room and board for the rest of his natural life.

    • Since we still have some of the rights and protections the Founders left us with and have not yet taken up Eastern practices of law, the citizens paying for a trial is the proper thing to do . Of course if/when he is found guilty a quick hanging should be his fate.

      • … under normal circumstances, I would agree. After reviewing the video and with Law enforcement confirming the death of –or otherwise not disputing the identity of the deceased person found to be that of the same person in the self-incriminating video; the suspect is already guilty.

        I do understand your point however ‘moot’ it may be.

        If the suspect is taken into custody (alive), there is no doubt in my mind the defense attorney will use an insanity defense –now the public will be paying for room, board and psychiatric treatment (probably for the suspects natural life), –along with whatever mental studies they deem appropriate.

  10. Removed off Fakebook you say…all over the evening news. May he die a horrible pain filled death. Reminds me of the big black gay boy who murdered the 2news folk live. Happy Easter.

    • An old man is murdered and his death is posted on Facebook and you throw in some glib “Happy Easter” comment ? WTF is wrong with you ?

      • And what is wrong with YOU son of satan? HE is Risen -Happy Easter. I hope the old dude knew JESUS…I already know you don’t.

  11. I’m hopeful this POS has ended his own life, although it won’t be a particularly satisfying conclusion.

  13. This guy survives 74 years of struggle on this planet for this punk to just take him out. Sad thing.

  14. Find him, end him.

    Problem solved.

    ~$0.50 for one headshot opposed to who knows how much for trial and jail time.

    My heartfelt condolences for the family of the victim.

    • That would be too efficient for our society. The judges, lawyers, prosecutors, politicians, court reports, baliffs, clerks, prison guard, and inmate transportation industries would implode if the criminal justice system wasn’t allowed to work its magic and give justice to the victim and his family, who, if the killer is caught, will have a portion of their wages taken to help feed, cloth, shelter, provide psychological counseling, and healthcare for the murderer.

      What a broken f**king system we have.

      • The System worked until we started allowing in immigrants. And we do no practice collective punishment. If you want to punish families you should move to Israel or North Korea.

    • We do not live in some Middle Eastern Hellhole. A fair trial and innocent until proven guilty were the protections left to us by the English protestants who founded this nation. If you don’t like those protections, you are more than welcome to leave.

      • Chris Mallory: This is not an attack on you or your posting, I need to understand that you thought this through. You are most definitely entitled to your opinionated post, but allow me to ask you, what part of the self-incriminating video did you ‘not understand’?

        Was it ‘the video’ or ‘the audio’ part, that has you confused enough to use the term(s) “found guilty” and/or “proven guilty”.

        Additionally, to address your concerns about due-process and protections, what about the protections of the 74/year young innocent father; as well as other innocents?

        Please edit where needed, and above all, please reply.

  15. So… the video is out there on TheHeavy. Unedited.

    It’s pretty disturbing but it’s also something to pay attention to. This guy is either a stone cold killer or has totally lost his mind.

    He pulls up and parks near this old guy who’s walking down the street. Approaches the guy and asks him to say a woman’s name (the ex-girlfriend of the shooter, she just broke up with him apparently). The old man is confused and asks for the name to be repeated. It’s repeated, the old guy says it and quite quickly the videographer/murderer says “She’s the reason this is happening to you”, pulls out a pistol and shoots the guy once in the head. He then heads back to his car as calmly as if he’s just bought a pack of smokes at a gas station and drives off.

    There’s some lessons in there. I think we all know what most of them are but one of the things that’s most disturbing about this, at least to me, is the fine line between legal self-defense and breaking the law. The old guy has very little time between the time he realizes something is wrong (when the gun is out and pointed at him) and the time he’s dead. Very little time and the guy making the video is pretty good at creating a confusing/distracting situation.

    Here’s the video, unedited. Warning, GRAPHIC, NSFW, NSFYC. Viewer discretion advised.

    http://heavy.com/news/2017/04/videos-alleged-cleveland-killer-steve-stevie-steve-stephens-graphic/

    • Some people get hit by lightening. Some people get killed in a traffic accident they couldn’t avoid.

      Sometimes your number is just up.

    • Being approached by a stranger on the street and being asked to do something weird by same stranger is enough reason to have your hand on your j frame in your pocket.

      You may still die. But at least you have some chance.

      • That’s kind of my point jwm.

        As the guy approaches something is quite clearly off, yet you can tell the old guy doesn’t really recognize that anything is seriously amiss until really, based on his age and physical condition, it’s probably too late.

        Were he armed, having a hand on his piece before he *realized* the extent of the danger he was in would have been a good idea. He might not have won, but he’d at least of had a chance. That chance requires that he 1) be armed and 2) be prepared to defend himself. Part of 2) is recognizing the potential for danger before you actually see the danger itself so as to minimize the time required for reaction. Another part of that is being aware that people who are up to no good may attempt to distract you with any number of strategies and that you should be prepared for this fact.

  16. According to the video, there was a 3-4 second time frame where the victim could’ve had the possibility for a hip-fire DGU. The time frame begins at the moment the victim looks down and sees the gun.

    • The innocent victim is 74/years young. Has put in time with 10/children and possibly more time with grand-children. recognition and reaction time is not what it used to be.

    • It’s all well and good to watch the clock on a video. When shit is going down in real life three to four seconds isn’t a lot of time and the time it takes to clear your concealment, get a grip on your gun draw and aim (or even point shoot from the hip) is effectively an eternity within that three to four second window.

      This is doubly true if you’re not sure what’s going on because the guy is doing things that intentionally take up part of your cognitive processes (distract you). I know that sounds like bullshit but I guarantee you I can put you through a workout while asking you pretty simple questions and you’ll find both the questions and that part of the workout to be significantly harder. When you’re working your way through the tail end a 3rd set of pull ups a question like “What’s 24 times 3?” becomes a lot harder and so do the pull ups.

      Now, add in some adrenaline and surprise (mild confusion) and all of a sudden this becomes a difficult situation and those three to four seconds go by goddamn fast.

  17. Murder. Gross, disgusting, and this human being who killed that poor man should be made to suffer for as long as medically possible until he is broken and bereft of self. The answer to this MUST be more gun control, amirite……*crickets*……….. Had we representatives, senators, mayors, governors, congress-critters, that wanted to really help their fellow humans, we could live in an America closer to what the founders knew, a nation of citizens with the means, training, resolve, and unfettered access to weapons that would protect their fellow innocents.

    Yet there are so many among us who wish only to restrict, repeal, rewrite, and destroy our collective freedom to defend ourselves, and others for a misguided fear that they project onto us.

    Prayers for that poor gentleman’s family, and I hope he is in whatever place he believes in.

  19. Remember the old days when people used to torture and kill each other without broadcasting it live on social media.

    I hope he doesn’t manage to take anyone else with him on the way out.

  20. I think instead of society sending overpaid swine after the shooter, we let anyone who catches the bastard throw him in an oven and roast him until he turns into an ash pile without charges.

  21. The psycho made it easier for CCW licensees to recognize the psycho for the threat that he is by admitting online to multiple murders in addition to broadcasting this murder. Since by the psycho’s own admission of being a serial killer I would not expect a CCW licensee to be required by law to wait for the psycho to pull the gun before defending himself or herself since the psycho is presumably on a killing spree.

    • Any concealed carrier in their correct mind would/should rapidly steer clear of this suspect. A rule of concealed carry is avoid known problems.

      Obviously the suspects “cheese has slipped off its cracker”

  24. Why can’t people just grieve when an innocent person gets shot without having to throw race and religion into the mix?

    I have to say if anti gunners spent all of their energy and money into changing the way this country deals with mental welfare I bet incidents like theses wouldn’t be as frequent.

  25. Cannot remember where I read this but there are people who pay attention to these things who say the FBI estimate of how many serial killers are at work at any given time is way low. That’s encouraging.

  27. Saw the video and since I live 45 miles Southeast from Cleveland, I picked up my pistol and toted it around the house with me.
    Did anyone see pictures of this guy? Pictures of his FB profile? Pictures he posted? Look into his eyes, tell me what you see. That’s a dead soul.
    At the end of the video after he’d shot that poor old man, he gets into his car and is like, “Ah shit”. Dead inside.
    He knows exactly what he’s doing so take psychotic off the list. He wants to hurt and inflict death, period. Somehow he thinks it’ll help him.
    Does he have a death wish? I thought so yesterday but I have changed my mind. If he did, there would have been a standoff and ultimately a showdown with law enforcement.
    He’s either hiding out in East Cleveland or because he was so close to I-90, he headed east to Pennsylvania /New York or West to Indiana /Illinois.
    Tell me again about evil. Poor elderly man had groceries in his hand.

    • The other video’s he posted while driving around are even more chilling.

      He’s talking on the phone with people about this in the same manner other people talk about what they’re picking up from the grocery store.

      • I saw those too Strych9. He’s completely dead inside. Knows what he’s doing and doesn’t care.
        This is pure, simple pain and death inflicting on his part. Not going to do anything but cost more lives.

  28. And for those that want to race bait? You can stop right now. Yes, East Cleveland is predominantly black but this could be anyone.
    White, Hispanic, Asian or whoever. A moral problem more than anything as this person has none. A problem of evil. Hatred towards people in general.

  29. This has NOTHING to do with guns….someone who is in the frame of mind to do this, doesn’t care if he has a gun, knife, ax, car, or pointy stick! He would use his fists if that was all he had, but he happened to have a gun…no word yet as to if it were legally purchased that I have seen.

    I live near and work in Cleveland, and yes, this is horrific, but read the news people. These things happen all over, its just the next guy always tries to one-up the last guy. This one was on Facebook live, how many beatings and rapes and other things have already been on there?

    Maybe Facebook Live is the problem…..like the ‘cooling off’ period many states have for gun purchases.. If you can’t post it and get immediate satisfaction, maybe it’s not going to get you your 15 minutes,! And if not, what’s the point in doing it??

    • It has always (in instances such as this), been a mental health issue/concern. In my opinion, there is no such thing as “Gun Violence”. Let’s test that for a moment, load your weapon to its capacity –plus one additional cartridge in the chamber. If your firearm has a safety –turn it off–, now place your fully loaded firearm on a near-by surface and begin to curse at it –to the point of infinity, talk about its mother, attack it with a bottle or stick. Did it retaliate?

      No such thing as –Gun Violence–.

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