Depending on which news outlet someone accesses, the death toll from Sunday's mass shooting in Sutherland Springs TX stands at either 25 or 26, not counting the shooter. The victim in question is Carlin Holcombe. Carlin was still in Crystal Holcombe's womb when the baby and its mother were brutally slain by Devin Kelley. As noted, some news agencies have felt the need to exclude the Unborn Child from the victim list.
CNN omits Carlin as a 'victim'
This is notable because in nearly every other situation when an unborn child is murdered, that child is counted as a victim.
However, news outlets such as CNN and People have stated that "25 lives, (and) that of an unborn child" were lost. That may seem like a small distinction, but the implications are far-reaching. It was clearly a subtle attempt to dehumanize unborn children for the purpose of promoting pro-choice rhetoric. Regardless of where one's views fall in relation to abortion law, the fact that CNN has taken the onus to redefine what constitutes a murder victim is dishonest, to say the least.
Texas state law
USA Today reported that in 2003, Texas passed a state law that required fetuses to be counted as murder victims. In fact, if Devin Kelley were to have survived the incident, he would most definitely have been charged with the murder of Carlin Holcombe.
Why did CNN decide to inaccurately report that only 25 people had been murdered? Details like this are the reason news outlets like CNN are losing credibility (and viewers) at an unprecedented rate.
Carlin Holcombe is a murder victim. The child may not have taken its first breath, but its tiny little heart beating at around 130 beats per minute, was abruptly stopped by ten grams of fast-moving lead on Sunday (Nov.
5). The unwillingness of CNN to count Carlin as a victim is both disgusting and petty. It's also in direct conflict with the legal definition of a "murder victim" in 38 states.
Holcombe family devastated
Carlin Holcombe is survived by a 15-year-old brother, a 7-year-old sister, and its father; John Holcombe. According to People.com, the Holcombe family suffered the loss of nine family members on Sunday, including unborn Carlin.
Imagine being John Holcombe. Imagine him trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered family in the wake of this tragedy, only to find national news organizations such as CNN or People not including one of his children as a murder victim.
