indiegames
February 14th, 2010, 17:20
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/02/340x_custom_1266164763268_xbox_live_logo_banner.jp gSeveral Canadian news outlets report that a gamer in British Columbia thwarted a school shooting by alerting authorities after hearing a failing Texas high school student discuss his plans and targets over Xbox Live. Microsoft's enforcement division also was involved.
The Vancouver Sun says the unidentified gamer, of Port Alberni, B.C., was in an unspecified game with five other teammates on Feb. 4 when one, apparently distraught and nihilistic over being a failing student in his senior year, started talking about gunning down classmates at his high school. Authorities say the suspect spoke of his plans at length, listing also the names of individual targets.
The suspect disconnected when the gamer questioned him further, which was alarming enough for the gamer to alert his local office of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They began an investigation and located the suspect with the help of Microsoft Law Enforcement, who traced the suspect console to San Antonio. Authorities there made an arrest, and a teenage suspect faces charges, reports say.
While I can't find any report of this through any San Antonio media, it seems to have been picked up by the publications of the Canwest media conglomerate (including the Vancouver Sun, which illustrated its story with an original Xbox). The reports don't say how capable this suspect was of pulling off his plans, but imply he sounded serious enough.
The moral of the story, don't even joke about shooting kids at school over Xbox Live, or the Mounties will get you.
B.C. Gamer Alerts Police to Prevent U.S. High School Shooting (http://www.vancouversun.com/life/gamer+alerts+police+prevent+high+school+shooting/2562018/story.html) [Vancouver Sun, thanks James C.]
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The Vancouver Sun says the unidentified gamer, of Port Alberni, B.C., was in an unspecified game with five other teammates on Feb. 4 when one, apparently distraught and nihilistic over being a failing student in his senior year, started talking about gunning down classmates at his high school. Authorities say the suspect spoke of his plans at length, listing also the names of individual targets.
The suspect disconnected when the gamer questioned him further, which was alarming enough for the gamer to alert his local office of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They began an investigation and located the suspect with the help of Microsoft Law Enforcement, who traced the suspect console to San Antonio. Authorities there made an arrest, and a teenage suspect faces charges, reports say.
While I can't find any report of this through any San Antonio media, it seems to have been picked up by the publications of the Canwest media conglomerate (including the Vancouver Sun, which illustrated its story with an original Xbox). The reports don't say how capable this suspect was of pulling off his plans, but imply he sounded serious enough.
The moral of the story, don't even joke about shooting kids at school over Xbox Live, or the Mounties will get you.
B.C. Gamer Alerts Police to Prevent U.S. High School Shooting (http://www.vancouversun.com/life/gamer+alerts+police+prevent+high+school+shooting/2562018/story.html) [Vancouver Sun, thanks James C.]
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