5 violent attacks linked to violent games

After recently reading about the young American man who wrecked his step-dad’s Harley Davidson after his Xbox was switched off, and how playing as a violent black character in a game fuels racism, we decided to take a look at some of the most disturbing and violent incidents attributed to gamers and videogames that made the headlines in recent years.

All the incidents, listed in no particular order, have a link to violent games. The question is, can games alone be blamed? Are people, youths in particular, susceptible to being influenced by games to the point they commit violent acts? Read below and let us know your thoughts.

Sandy Hook shooting

Adam Lanza shot and killed his mother, Nancy, and 26 children at Sandy Hook Elementary on December 14 2012. Lanza was reportedly obsessed with Call of Duty, and the weapon he used in the massacre – a Bushmaster AR-15 – was similar to the assault rifles used in the game.

Lanza was said to have been taken to the the shooting range by his mother regularly, and also suffered from Asperger’s Sydrome. Multiple publications ran with the fact Lanza enjoyed the FPS, and a book on the shooting titled Newtown, detailed how Lanza had accrued 83,000 kills on the various video games he played.

13-year-old boy slashes friends throat

A 13-year-old boy in Clydebank, Scotland, slashed the throat of his 14-year-old friend after the pair had an argument while playing Gears of War 3 in May 2013.

The boy, who had a child of his own, met his victim while playing the game online and the pair had only know each other a few months before the incident. According to police reports, the attacker slashed at his victims throat before sneering and saying: “Don’t die”, before walking off.

The victim required staples and surgery, and was traumatised following the attack. Prosecutor Andrew Brown told the court the reporting officer was of the opinion that the violent video games played online by the accused may have been a factor in his conduct.

Anders Breivik – Utoya island shooting

The Norwegian right-wing extremist Anders Breivik killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting rampage in Oslo’s government district and on nearby Utoya island during a youth political party’s camp in July 2011.

Breivik said during questioning that he became a marksman by playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and bought for his attack a gun sight identical to one he used in the game.

“It’s a war simulator that shows you how to shoot at people. It helps you acquire experience of sights and targeting,” he said of the FPS.

Breivik also stated he spent a year playing World of Warcraft, but claimed it had no bearing on the attack. “The game teaches target acquisition and you have to practice within a specific time.

While in custody, he demanded a replacement for a PlayStation 2 console he had access to, requesting a then new PS3, and access to more games.

Noah Crooks attempts rape, kills his mother

14-year-old Noah Crooks shot and killed his mother in May 2013 after she grounded him for playing too much Call of Duty and allowing his grades to slip.

In a call to 911 after the shooting, Crooks said he had tried to rape his mother, but “couldn’t do it” and had shot her with his .22 calibre firearm. “I’m not joking at all. She’s dead. I’m scared,” he said in the emergency call.

He also told the operator his mother had taken the game away from him because of “some bad grades”. Defence lawyer William Kutmus said Crooks’s mother had also taken away his game controller 3 hours before the shooting, which may have caused the “violent behaviour”.

17-year-old murders boy Manhunt style

17-year-old Warren Leblanc stabbed 14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah to death in February 2004 after luring him to a public park in Leicester with the intention of robbing him.

Leblanc, who pleaded guilty to murder, was said to to be an avid fan of Manhunt, to the point he was labelled “obsessed” by his friends. Leblanc armed himself with a knife and claw-hammer before asking Pakeerah to come with him to the park to meet two girls.

Pakeerah’s father, Patrick, said at the time that Leblanc and his son – who were friends – played Manhunt. “The way Warren committed the murder is how the game is set out – killing people using weapons like hammers and knives,” he said.