Second Victim

The Second (On-Screen) Victim refers to the second on-screen victim in each of the Scream films. Their reason for being targeted is usually stronger than the motive for killing the first on-screen victims (Steven Orth, Phil Stevens, Christine Hamilton, Marnie Cooper, Vince Schneider and Greg Buckner).

When Scream was a trilogy, they were often referred to as "the first kill" or simply the "opening kill" in a general sense, because they are the out-of-universe primary target, and sometimes intended first kill, through the camera lens of the audience watching.

A prime example of this is Casey Becker in the original film (who is technically the third murder victim of her massacre). Another example of this is Laura Crane in the sixth film (considered to be second victim of Ghostface as her student Jason Carvey before he was first murder victim of Ghostface).

Primary Target Motive

• Scream (1996 film): Casey Becker is targeted due to dumping Stu Macher for Steven Orth.
• Scream 2 (1997 film, set in 1998): Maureen Evans is targeted due to sharing the same name as the first (off-screen) murder victim, Maureen Prescott.
  • It is likely she was intended to be the first kill, but Phil Stevens became an improvised first victim.
• Scream 3 (2000): Cotton Weary is targeted for not giving up Sidney Prescott's whereabouts. He also became the first one of the main characters in the franchise to be killed in the opening scene.
• Scream 4 (2011): Jenny Randall is targeted due to the implication she shared a connection with Trevor Sheldon, possibly being the exact girl, or among the girls Jill Roberts identified as him cheating with.
• Scream 5 (2022 film set in 2021): Judy Hicks is targeted as a diversion tactic, after Ghostface successfully lures Samantha Carpenter back to Woodsboro, so Amber Freeman can distract the Woodsboro Police to finish the job and kill Tara Carpenter (the opening victim attack, but not murder).
• Scream VI (2023): Laura Crane is first targeted at the wall-street in the New York City who is killed by her student (Jason Carvey) for not favorite his grades of performance movie and is dislikes the Stab franchise. Then later, Jason Carvey is the next targeted as a first opening victim for murdering his professor, Laura. Wayne Bailey meets the maker as he intends to kill him who asked him to finish the movie.
  • It is likely that Jason was intended to be the first kill on Laura as a considered to be second victim.
  • Laura and Jason are both first victims in the opening of sixth film.