If you have been following this site, then you’ll know we’re pretty huge fans of The Purge franchise. One of the reasons why the film series has been so successful is because the realness of it all adds a certain level of fear that other horror films can’t achieve.
Sadly, a 19-year-old Indiana man made things too real. The teenager, Jonathan Cruz, has been charged with murder after going on a four-day killing spree that was reportedly inspired by The Purge films. Between May 12 and May 15, Cruz murdered three people. He allegedly told one witness that he was “purging,” and he sent text messages that referenced the movie.
This seems to match up with the murders because police say the victims were “100 percent random,” meaning Cruz had no connection to them. In addition to the three murders, Cruz also kidnapped a woman at gunpoint.
In total, he’s now facing at least 17 charges, including three counts of murder and attempted robbery resulting in serious bodily injury. Prosecutors will likely ask for the death penalty. You can read more about the story by clicking this link.
As most of you probably know, the third Purge film is scheduled to be released on July 1. It’ll be interesting to see if this story hurts its performance at the box office.
There will probably be some people out there trying to stop the release, but that’s not an appropriate reaction. The films might be scary and full of violence, but do you know what’s more terrifying? Putting restrictions on art and creativity because we humans can’t handle the responsibility that comes along with it.
