Love should not lead to death

These days it is important to truly know a person before you call him or her your boyfriend or girlfriend. Despite what anyone might say, a couple of dates are not enough involvement to be comfortable.

“There was just something different about him (or her); I knew it the first time we met.”

You may have heard your friends say that about a new person whom they get a “special” feeling about.

Unfortunately, there have been several recent news stories about women killed by their ex-lovers that should raise some suspicion about “falling” too early.

Take Tyler Peterson, the sheriff’s deputy who shot six people Sunday in Crandon, Wisc. The victims were at a house party together when Peterson, barely 20-years-old, went on a shooting spree.

Three of the people killed were high school students and the other three had graduated within the past year. According to CNN, one of the victims was Peterson’s girlfriend or possibly an ex.

For weeks, people in Chicago searched for 28-year-old Nailah Franklin. Franklin was reported missing Sept. 19 after the Eli Lilly & Co. sales representative missed a meeting at work.

Her body was found half naked and badly decomposed on Sept. 27. Police said Franklin told them a week prior to being reported missing that a man she briefly dated had been threatening her life, and she filed a police report against him. However, he has not been named a suspect.

There’s also Gerard Reynolds-Bey of Ohio, found guilty in August of killing two women he was dating at the same time.

The next time you judge by first impressions and get the urge to say, “I just met him and it feels like we’ve known each other forever,” please stop before you fall head-over-heels. Take the time to learn all you can; then proceed with caution.

Driadonna Roland for the Editorial Board.