Man killed by teen video gamers

[Commander-598 0]

Well, I was never told that shooting someone is a bad thing, until I already had it figured out(Age seven).

I'm 15. I have two large caliber rifles nearly within arms reach. I have ammunition for both within arms reach. I can use these weapons without parental supervision, if I need to.(Coyote comes looking for a free meal, or something like that. Not counting hunting season.)

I'm competent enough to not go and shoot at passing cars.

I can think of what was going through their heads. They were shooting at the back of eighteen wheelers not thinking it would cause any dammage and didn't stop to think about the .22LRs ricochets which veered off and killed someone.

Very stupid people.

[Renagade 0]

The game was merely a "trigger", if you will.

These kids were obviously unbalanced and/or never taught morals and basic right/wrong. It could just as easily have been a movie, TV series or comic book that they would copy.

You can't blame the game. Sure, it's a contributing factor - no denying that. But the REAl issue is - why were these kids not raised to know that firing guns at people is wrong, and you DON'T DO IT. 14-16 is most definitely old enough to understand the consequences of your actions. It might be different it was a 6-8 year old.

And the two lesser issues are: how did the kids get a hold of a gun; and why weren't their parents monitoring what games their kids were playing.

I love good shoot-em-ups like GTA, and even sick stuff like Postal. To me, it's good harmless fun, blowing away some pixels as a way to let off steam. But if I had kids, you can bet your ass I wouldn;t let them play...

GTA3  isn`t that bad  though its probably got the adult rating f or the drugs and  sex refrences  in it.

Is there any evidence to say t hey were doing it maliciously, maybe the kids are just pig shit stupid and not thinking about the after affects

plus im going to start a  new  thread  on something  so i dont fall foul  of ralphy boys warning

[edit] linkhttp://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin....t=33539

[Major Fubar 0]

Good point Renagade, it's quite possible that the kids just didn't even realise the consequences of their actions (although at 14+ I find that very unlikely). But even if this is the case, it still falls back on to the parents.

I would have thought not discharging a firearm at vehicles was of the same basic level as don't play with matches, don't drink drainclaner, don't play in traffic etc.

Again, I'm not a parent, but I'd have thought that if you have kids, and own a gun, one of the first things you would do would be to teach your children basic gun safety. And I would assume part of any basic firearm safety is NOT to fire (or even point) a gun a people...including people in cars.

...anyway, it's all specualtion at this point, until all of the facts are available. I will be closely watching for any updates on this case...

[Next thing you know they'll be trying to blame heavy metal for teen suicides! ]

[Renagade 0]

wouldn`t that be a good thing though

Never underestimate the power of stupidity or absent mindedness.

[Guest DKM-jaguar]

People see movies to escape reality (for the most part). They won't be happy unless the car explodes in a huge mushroom cloud after impacting a wall.

I never knew cardboard boxes were so explosive either..

I wonder what inspired hundreds of directors to have cop cars crashing into boxes in alleys and just exploding?!  

looks funny though

I agree that films are never realistic, i mean look at blackhawk down.......

ONtopic: People are saying in this thread:

That access to firearms is not the trouble, that TV, games, and movies are not the problem, that upbringing is not alwats the problem (not being told that killing someone is bad by your parents) and that being 'crazy' is the problem. Well, all these things are basically what makes people 'crazy' so if none of them are to blame.... who is?

[Baron Hurlothrumbo IIX 0]

NONE of those things make people crazy.

[Major Fubar 0]

Naturally there are always a small percentage of people who are genuinely mentally unstable or otherwise have legitimate medical unbalalnces, but these would only account for a very small percentage of incidents like this.

Far more common would be poor upbringing. To me, that is the main factor in this case...

But assuming the game was the trigger, then any of the following could have prevented the death of an innocent motorist -

1. The kids not having access to a gun

2. The kids not having access to a game with an age rating

3. The kids knowing that shooting at people is wrong and there would be consequences

...and all three of these factors are the responisibilty of a parent...

[Uziyahu--IDF 0]

Now that is stupid thing to do.

Now this makes games look bad.

Actually, it makes a bad game look like what it is.

I won't buy "Grand Theft Auto", just like I wouldn't pay money to watch movies glamourizing auto theft.

Yeah, I tried the "Postal 2" demo, but I certainly didn't buy the thing.

[SKULLS_Viper 0]

There happens to be a law, no shooting within city limits to.(depending though)

[Major Fubar 0]

Personally, as long as they carry all appropriate warnings and age restrictions, I see nothing wrong with games like GTA, Postal, Carmageddon etc.

Sure, they do somewhat glamourize violent behaviour, but let's face it, games like this were never meant for kids. It's like pornography - some right wing conservatives are always calling for it to be banned, but as long as it is only available to adults, I see no problem. Same with liquor, guns, cars etc. None of these things are intended for use by children. Yes, they can always circumvent the procedures and obtain them illegally, but what is the answer? Ban cars? Ban alcohol (since that worked so well in the past)?

It's time people starting taking some responsibility for their own actions, and parents started taking responsibility for their children's actions.

[Drill Sergeant 0]

Personally, as long as they carry all appropriate warnings and age restrictions, I see nothing wrong with games like GTA, Postal, Carmageddon etc.

Sure, they do somewhat glamourize violent behaviour, but let's face it, games like this were never meant for kids. It's like pornography - some right wing conservatives are always calling for it to be banned, but as long as it is only available to adults, I see no problem. Same with liquor, guns, cars etc. None of these things are intended for use by children. Yes, they can always circumvent the procedures and obtain them illegally, but what is the answer? Ban cars? Ban alcohol (since that worked so well in the past)?

It's time people starting taking some responsibility for their own actions, and parents started taking responsibility for their children's actions.

For every freedom thier is a responsibilty and every time we don't make our grade on the responsibility than we should eb punished. Right on with what you said.

[Renagade 0]

and a certain beardy fellow once said, those that sacrife freedoms for saftey do not deserve either.

I sstill say that GTA3 is more or less a cartoony game that has the rating it does because of its drugs and slight sexual undertones.

If they`d been watching tom & jerry or itchy and scratchy i think it would of been a lot worse than a few ppl getting shot

[ralphwiggum 6]

http://abcnews.go.com/section....rs.html (look at URL's html file name.... )

Quote[/b] ] The family of a slain motorist has filed suit against the maker of a video game that two teens claim inspired them to shoot at passing cars on a Tennessee highway.

[1B1KSniper 0]

I'm 17, and I played GTA 3 a lot, and also GTA Vice City. I have never shot anyone, and I never intend to. These games are just a way to take your aggression out without real world consequences.Admittedly, I bought GTA 3 without my parents' knowledge, but I was living in China at that time, where there are no such things as parental controls or ratings for video games. Not once has there been a shooting there blamed on video games.

If any of the people saying that these games are marketed to children, they are obviously mistaken. GTA 3 is basically a satire of the modern world. Just sit and listen to the radio. Most of what is said would make little sense to a kid, but to an adult it would be quite funny. They made it even more obviously targeted at adults with Vice City, the 80s setting, and all the other nostalgia inducing bits which would be completely over the heads of most teens and children.

It is my opinion that these two kids were not raised correctly, and should spend much longer in prison than they are currently sentenced to.

It is the misdeeds of the few that ruins the fun of the many.

[Supah 0]

*snip*

Here here! Couldnt agree more. People should start raising their kids instead of always looking for excuses for their behaviour.

[Major Fubar 0]

http://abcnews.go.com/section....rs.html (look at URL's html file name.... )

Quote[/b] ] The family of a slain motorist has filed suit against the maker of a video game that two teens claim inspired them to shoot at passing cars on a Tennessee highway.

Surprise surprise. Maybe they should the neglectful parents instead of the game company.

(Interesting though that they choose to sue - no amount of money will bring their loved one back).

[ozanzac 0]

Hmm, what happens to the kids after they turn 19? Do they go to prison, or get away with murder because they were minors?

I hope they receive life, so they may rot to think about what they've done.

On a more serious note for the gaming community. Do you think that the family of the deceased will succeed in a lawsuit against Take2 interactive.

Quote[/b] ]The Hamel family hired attorney Jack Thompson and filed suit Thursday against TAKE2interactive, the video game maker. Thompson says it's time to send a message to the video game makers.

"We want to send a message with a huge verdict to Sony and TAKE2interactive and the entire video game industry that if they're going to continue to market adult-rated games to children with these horrific consequence, then we're going to take their blood money from them and send a message to their boards that they have to stop this practice or there will be other suits on behalf of other people, killed by these games," Thompson said.

I beleive they are entitled to some compensation, but definantly NOT from Take2. For they are not responsible for the outcome, and their product was realeased with the required governmental approvals. (ESRB, etc.)

To gain compensation from Take2 would mean current laws would have to change in regard to violence in games.

*Sighs*

I hate it when the social misfits screw everything up for the majority of people.

And for the parents of America. Educate your bloody kids. You $#!t me when you scream about the harm this or that does to your kids. But if you took the time to raise them properly and not let what they see on TV and Video Games be the basis of their moral codes, your kid's wouldn't be in the hole their in at the moment.

I'm not saying wrap them in a bubble and isolate them completely from the world, otherwise they'll still be social misfits. But you get my point.

Games don't kill people. People with ill-developed moral concepts kill people. ( And in this case, the parents, (who just so happen to have had past broken relationships according to the info in the article) lay solely at fault.)

Some people *sighs again*

[ozanzac 0]

I found a really interesting site.

http://www.philchalmers.com/causeandeffect.htm

Basically a history of incidents of kids (or people with child-like minds) in the [edit] mostly [/edit] united states imitiating what they see from the late 80's to the current day.

Theres alot of potential 'Darwin' award winners here.

[Renagade 0]

It is also possible that they pulled the GTA3 excuse out their ass when the cops showed up and the news has just spun it out because it makes a nice story

was it shotguns or was it a .22 rifle they were using or was it boh.In the earlier reports it said it was .22 but on the lawsuit site and the truelies funny site it says it was a shotgun

[ozanzac 0]

It is also possible that they pulled the GTA3 excuse out their ass when the cops showed up and the news has just spun it out because it makes a nice story

was it shotguns or was it a .22 rifle they were using or was  it boh.In the earlier reports it said it was .22 but on the lawsuit site and the  truelies funny  site it says it was a shotgun

I assume at least a Shotgun was used.

Quote[/b] ]"I have eight bullet fragments all in my body,"

A rifle could also hace been used.

Quote[/b] ]He had a large bullet hole at the side of his head

But I doubt a .22 rifle could make a substatial hole in someones head. And .22 calibre rifles are not renowned for their ablity to get many rounds off in quick sucession.

If a .22 was used, one would question the boys quote that they didn't mean to hurt anyone. For the shots were aimed at the passenger compartment.

They probably did get the idea from GTA III. But it shouldn't have inspired them to do it

And unfortunately, the incidents on the truelies 'funny site' are all true.

[Renagade 0]

"all true" is never all true

[Major Fubar 0]

Quote[/b] ]The Hamel family hired attorney Jack Thompson and filed suit Thursday against TAKE2interactive, the video game maker. Thompson says it's time to send a message to the video game makers.

"We want to send a message with a huge verdict to Sony and TAKE2interactive and the entire video game industry that if they're going to continue to market adult-rated games to children with these horrific consequence, then we're going to take their blood money from them and send a message to their boards that they have to stop this practice or there will be other suits on behalf of other people, killed by these games," Thompson said.

Hmm, good argument - except these games aren't marketed to children - WTF do these people think the age ratings on the game package mean?

While I can symapthise with the families of the deceased, they are looking at the wrong target. Like I said, sue the idiot parents who raised their children with no common sense and/or no regard for human life, let them have access to adult rated games and let them have access to guns.

[BAD ASS JACK 0]

Hmm, Maybe VBS1 is the reason for the american military being so stupid?, thinking they own the world?

"war is a computer game, what better way to raise the ultimate soldier" - Solid snake, MGS2

People may say its not a game its military training software but to me its just another version of OFP.

[Renagade 0]

Quote[/b] ]While I can symapthise with the families of the deceased, they are looking at the wrong target

fubar they`re looking for any target,any at all

Infact i reckon a law should be passed so that ppl of tragedies shouldn`t be allowed to do stuff like this after a set period of time and counselling because after such a tragedy they`re not going to be as logical and unbiased as normal folk.

[GoOB 0]

This whole story about games "teaching" and or inspiring kids how to do acts of crime or anything similar is in my opinion complete bullcrap. It is understandable if these kids have some sort of hidden psychological problem that might be set off by seeing and or "preforming" acts of violence in a video game. "Normal" kids I think aren't affected. Afterall, when I was a kid I played alot of Pacman and a whole lot of Tetris. I didn't run around chasing small pieces of fruit, nor did I lock myself into a dark room and ran around listening to small annoying melodies. And the Tetris playing, imagine what effects these kids could have gotten from that! Dropping blocks of concrete from a high-rise, ban Tetris!