Some Fans of Cameron Herrin's Are Calling for Justice for the TikTok Star

As TikTok has continued to expand, the kinds of communities found on the platform have expanded as well. Like every social media platform, there's a segment of TikTok that is willing to ride for pretty much any cause. Recently, one cause that has been gaining steam, and causing a backlash in the process, is the case of Cameron Herrin, a 21-year-old who was recently sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Cameron received his sentence after a trial that began in 2018 in which he was accused of killing a mother and her one-year-old child while he was street racing in Tampa, Florida. Cameron, who was 18 at the time, collided with the mother and daughter in his Mustang while he was going between 30 and 40 miles per hour. Although that was his speed at the time of the impact, reporting suggested he hit speeds above 160 miles per hour during his race.

Cameron initially pled not guilty in court, but eventually changed his plea and admitted to the crime. Since his sentence was handed down in April of this year, though, a movement has spun up on TikTok suggesting that his 24-year sentence may be too harsh. The movement stems in part from Cameron's own videos, which he posted frequently to the platform before he was imprisoned.

Across TikTok, some users have suggested that Cameron deserves a shorter sentence, and have justified their argument by comparing it to other sentences for similar crimes. The hashtag "#JusticeForCameron" has also been gaining steam, with users also declaring that they are humans, and not bots, in an attempt to dispel the notion that the hashtag is being pumped by bots. Of course, saying that you're human is exactly what a bot would do.

Regardless, some believe that Cameron is worthy of another chance. “He deserves a second chance, he is a kind guy with a big and open heart,” one user wrote.

“We are with Cameron Herren until the end and we will not leave him,” another added.

Even as there has been an outpouring of support for Cameron, others have rightfully pointed out that he was sentenced for killing two innocent people. Some have suggested that his sentence was exactly what he deserved, and that those looking for justice were only doing so because Cameron was a fairly attractive guy. Of course, it's also hard to imagine this kind of support being thrown behind someone of a different racial or socioeconomic background.

Cameron may be a nice guy, but that doesn't change what he did. The justice system is already set up to work in the favor of young white men who make mistakes that cost other people their lives. The fact that Cameron was actually sentenced for the accident doesn't mean that a miscarriage of justice took place. In fact, it may mean that he received the punishment he deserved for the crime he committed.