Big Week in Conspiracy Theories:
Lately it appears the news has been riddled with more tragedy, specifically surrounding the recent events of the Las Vegas shooting and the death of Kenneka Jenkins. Both of these occurrences have drawn in mass speculation and conspiracy due to the odd and conspicuous circumstances involved. Throughout the past week online forums and mainstream media have been reporting on the events of the Las Vegas shooting, as well as the mysterious death of Kenneka Jenkins. Both topics have remained prevalent, especially in terms of conspiracy theories due to the unexplained and strange elements each case provides. While both events are extremely different from one another; one being a mass shooting and the other a suspicious death/murder, they share one thing in common: conspiracy. The case of the Las Vegas shooting is not as clear-cut as many forms of media proclaim, there are multiple loose ends within the case such as no clear motive, security protocol, and the odd “warning” several eye-witnesses claim to have gotten before the shooting started. Kenneka Jenkins’ death has officially been ruled as an accidental death, though this does not sit well with her family or the public as the evidence appears a bit too “coincidental”. Many are appalled with the theories circulating online because of the sensitive nature and the lives lost.
Las Vegas and the Unanswered Questions
Before the police could begin their investigation, the Internet was already ablaze with conspiracy theories surrounding the horrific mass shooting that took place on October 1st. Immediately there were claims of multiple shooters, Islamic terrorism, and political affiliations as the cause of the shooting. This article by Bethania Palma: http://www.snopes.com/2017/10/12/conspiracy-theories-las-vegas-mass-shooting/ illustrates a list of the various theories that began circulating once the news of the shooting broke. Due to the nature of this crime and the remarkable ability of the Internet, every question left unanswered soon becomes answered with a thrall of theorists who want to fill in the blanks. In this age of fast media and technology, the quicker the news spreads, the faster false information is able to travel. This of course presents trouble to those involved in the investigation as many times false reports have to be taken into account and looked into, taking time away from the reality of the situation. In times of mass hysteria and confusion, conspiracy theories are looked upon as a sort of comfort and relief to understanding the unknown. As stated earlier many of the conspiracy theories regarding the Las Vegas shooting fail to show any sort of empathy towards the victims and families affected, leading to the spread of more confusion, hatred, and fear. All things that are not needed during this time( or any time for that matter!)
Credit for this image goes to: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fredisonfire/23416778153 Image was cropped to fit within this blog post, no other changes made.
What Happened to Kenneka Jenkins?
As of early October the death of nineteen-year old Kenneka Jenkins has been officially ruled as “accidental.” She was found dead in the walk-in freezer of the Crowne Plaza hotel located in Chicago. The bizarre circumstance of her death resulted in a slew of conspiracy theories that all pointed to a possible murder. From rape, revenge, to being a victim of organ trafficking, the multitude of theories left the public in awe of what happened to this young girl. There are still an unhealthy amount of questions that have been avoided regarding her mysterious death, one of the most notable being the lack of surveillance footage and the fact that the motion detected cameras did not turn on to witness Kenneka walk into the freezer. The small portions of footage that are available show an incredibly dazed and disoriented Jenkins wandering through the hallways and ultimately the kitchen of the hotel. The fact that there remains no evidence of Jenkins going into the freezer on her own accord draws suspicion in that it is unknown how she ended up in the freezer. Although police have determined her death to be an accident after only conducting interviews with persons of interest, it does not appear any fingerprinting or DNA testing was done on the freezer door or surrounding areas. The lack of cooperation by the Crowne Plaza in not handing over ALL the security footage raises a red flag… what could they be hiding? As of now no lawsuits have been filed against the hotel or the police, though the Jenkins family attorney has requested the remaining footage be released and all evidence to be preserved. Greater detail on the current status of the investigation and ruling can be found here: https://lasentinel.net/family-attorneys-continue-to-seek-justice-after-kenneka-jenkins-death-in-hotel-freezer-ruled-accident.html.
Will any of the Conspiracies be Proven True?
While the vast majority of theories online can be ruled off as far-fetched and ridiculous, there are a few instances where conspiracies have turned out to be true. While both of the tragic events discussed are still under investigation, there have been recent revelations involving rumors and conspiracies in Hollywood… Harvey Weinstein perhaps? Remember to avoid the blatantly false narratives, but always keep a little conspiracy in the theory…
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