Steven Sotloff's Friends Mourn Journalist On Twitter After Alleged Beheading

Friends and fellow journalists took to Twitter Tuesday after the reported murder of Steven Sotloff, the American journalist who was allegedly beheaded by the Islamic State. Sotloff, 31, labeled himself a “stand-up philosopher from Miami,” and was described as “selfless” by his friends, the New York Times reported.

Matthew Van Dyke, an American filmmaker, told BBC Radio 5 live's Drive that the United States and United Kingdom need to start negotiating for hostages. Van Dyke, a friend of Sotloff's, said he was “aware of the risks” in Syria, but he wanted to report on what was happening. "He was completely innocent, he was just there to report on the story ... and now he's paid for it with his life," Van Dyke said. "This should never have happened."

Josh Polsky, another friend, said Sotloff “lit up a room.” “He was always such a loyal, caring and good friend to us,” Polsky told the New York Times. “If you needed to rely on anybody for anything he would drop everything on a dime for you or for anyone else.”

Sotloff’s alleged beheading came two weeks after the Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, released footage of the apparent execution of American photojournalist James Foley. In that video, ISIS threatened to kill Sotloff if the U.S. continued its airstrikes against the militant group in Iraq.

Some of the tweets from his friends and colleagues are listed below:

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