Who Is Steven Joel Sotloff? How You Can Help Save Second American Journalist Being Held By ISIS Terrorists

As the world was forced to witness journalist James Foley’s beheading in a video uploaded to Youtube last Tuesday, by terrorist group ISIS where we also learned the horror won’t end there. In fact the implications from the terrorists indicated this is just the beginning. The threat on the video came with a British accent saying, Steven Joel Sotloff’s life is in President Obama’s hands as he will decide the photojournalist’s fate with “his next decision.” The extremist group is asking that all U.S. attacks on ISIS positions in Iraq, come to an end.

Steven Joel Sotloff is a 31 year-old journalist, who is a former UCF student from Miami and worked at “Central Florida Future” as a Senior Staff Writer. He’d also contributed to other publications such as “TIME”, “National Interest” and “MediaLine”. His Twitter account also provided updates on the dangers he was witnessing in the Middle East and also professed his love for NBA’s Miami Heat. His last post was on August 13, 2013. Sotloff disappeared last year while in Aleppo, Syria, which according to the Committee to Protect Journalists is the most dangerous country for journalists.

"This is an unspeakably terrible circumstance. We join so many others who hope for Steven's safe return," stated UCF spokesman Grant Heston. As so many others join Steven’s family to sign the petition they have launched on the White House website, titled "Do everything possible to free American reporter Steven Sotloff from ISIS in Syria and save his life." The petition needs, at least 100,000 signatures within a month to trigger a response from the US government. Sotloff’s younger sister, Lauren’s boyfriend, Frank Castle, also posted a statement on Facebook: "People please not only sign the following petition, but please share so the more the better. Thank you in advance and pray for his safe return home." Sadly, after President Obama’s statement on Wednesday, the general reaction was that he, “signed Steven Sotloff’s death sentence.”