When an obsessive stalker decided to target a teenage girl, he had no idea the mistake he was making, especially when he turned up at her door and intended to do harm. That’s when the girl’s dad decided it was time to take action and “neutralized the threat.”
Teen TikTok sensation Ava Majury had been on the popular video-sharing app for nearly two years when she noticed one user trying “extremely hard” to get her attention in the comment section, according to The New York Times. Majury gained popularity after sharing lip sync performances on the video-sharing platform, where she has more than 1.2 million followers, as well as over 300,000 followers on Instagram. But, one of her followers allegedly was dangerously obsessed with her.
That alleged stalker was identified as Eric Rohan Justin, who went by EricJustin111 online. Justin sent Ava hundreds of messages on her social media accounts as he turned “stalkerish” and became quite an overwhelming problem. According to TODAY, “Ava’s parents said that at one point, they even allowed their daughter to sell Justin two selfies she had already posted online. But then Justin started asking the teen for explicit photos.”
It became evident that Eric Justin wasn’t going to go away quietly, so Ava’s dad decided to step in. “I had an opportunity to actually text this person and said, ‘Hey, she’s a minor and you need to not contact her anymore and we will notify the authorities,'” Ava’s father, Rob Majury, recalled. That’s when things took a frightening turn as the alleged stalker showed up at the Majury family’s Florida home with a gun. No doubt, this is every parent’s nightmare scenario.
According to The Times, the crazed fan showed up at the Majury home in Naples, Florida with a shotgun and swung the front door wide open. Luckily, his weapon was jammed. Rob Majury, a retired Jersey City police lieutenant, chased the 18-year-old gunman until he got away, but the dad knew to wait at the front door just in case Justin came back. Well, a short while later, Justin returned, and this time, Rob was prepared. He had a shotgun and used it. Rob shot Justin dead, right on the front lawn.
“At that point, I took action and neutralized the threat,” the retired New Jersey cop said. While Rob Majury was not charged under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, his family still worries for Ava’s safety. In fact, they were so concerned following the shooting incident that the family decided to move away and Ava began homeschooling. In hopes of keeping his daughter safe, Ava’s dad also explained that there’s “more security on our end, more reviews of accounts, more checking in — just trying to be normal for Ava.”
Despite the incident, Ava is still posting on social media. “Even afterward people said why would you allow this to continue?” her dad said. “It became such a part of her personality and her being [that] to take it away could maybe harm her more.” Kim Majury, Ava’s mother, agreed with that sentiment. “I think we just had to allow her to make a decision and sort of support her,” she said. “I think it’s going to help her heal. It sounds corny, but I don’t know what else you would do it for.”
Ava also reflected on the incident on social media, writing in a post, “I’m telling my story so that young people and parents are also aware of the dangers of social media. I hope my experience will be a teaching moment for not just my friends but social media users of all ages and backgrounds.”
The Times reported that the alleged stalker’s father returned to India and had divorced his mother years prior to the incident. “He’s a good young man. I’m completely speechless,” Justin’s father said. “I’m at a loss as to what’s wrong with him. A horrible decision was made,” Justin’s father further declared, adding that his son had been a great student at Elie Hebron Hill High School in Cote and was doing well in math.
The police discovered two mobile phones that belonged to Eric Justin, which had hundreds of images of Ava Majury, according to the report. However, it remains unclear how the alleged stalker got Ava’s address. Months before the attack, the teen TikTok user claimed a boy attending her school followed her home and possibly texted the Majury address to Justin.
Sadly, this story is a cautionary tale and illustrates more than ever that parents better be involved in every aspect of their children’s lives, especially on social media. In addition, it’s a reminder that we must be prepared to defend ourselves and our loved ones should danger darken our doorstep. We shudder to think how this story could have ended if Rob Majury hadn’t been able to defend his family with equal force when an obsessed stalker showed up with a gun.
