ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq, has struck again. This time, Americans feel it hit close to home as one of their own is killed. Yet even more disturbing, is that this murder has been recorded and released, but since taken down, on YouTube.

James Foley was an American freelance reporter covering the civil war in Syria. He was seized there near the town of Taftanaz during the bloody struggles in 2012. He hasn’t been heard from since then. Until now.

In the video titled  A Message to America,  James Foley appeared kneeling in desert terrain. Next to him stood a militant dressed in black and heavily armed.  The militant claimed that the killing of the American journalist was in retaliation for the ongoing  US airstrikes against its forces. The US military has bombed over 90 targets attributed to Isis, including convoys, mobile artillery and fixed positions, since August 8th, 2014.

Though YouTube took down the video depicting the brutal beheading,  it sparked a debate on social media about the ethics of sharing it. The family of James Foley, however, has released a statement asking people not to share the video in respect to his great life.

White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden has stated, “If genuine, we are appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American journalist and we express our deepest condolences…” And today, August 20th, the video has been confirmed authentic. President Obama, who is on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard, also gave a statement today, addressing this senseless killing.

US President Barack Obama has denounced the beheading of US journalist James Foley as  “an act of violence that shocks the conscience of the entire world.” President Obama then pledged to continue “to do what we must do” to confront ISIS.