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High school student, hammer arrested for creating in-game map of his school
Nex05.03.08 - 2:33 AM 41 comments

High school student, hammer arrested for creating in-game map of his school screenshot

According to FortBendNow, via Slashdot, a high school student at Clements High School in Fort Bend, Texas was arrested (and expelled) for creating a Counterstrike map that replicated the grounds of his school.

The student in question apparently created the map as a free download used primarily by himself and his friends, but since administrators simply lack the ability to differentiate fiction from non-fiction, as soon as they stopped looking for the Quad Damage, they removed him from class. Later, police went to the boy's house where they arrested him and confiscated a hammer under the pretense that it could potentially be a "dangerous weapon". 

The sheer idiocy of this event goes to show just how successful the media has been at convincing the general public that video games are tantamount to Rushdie's The Satanic Verses for inciting violence. If parents and teachers could just learn to spend time getting to know the interests of the children they have in their care, instead of condemning them for those same interests, many fewer kids would find it necessary to seek out assault rifles to express themselves.



MORE IN OUR Violence SECTION

Latest comment by Ambulance-Y |view all 41 comments
i'd like to see a world trade center counter-strike map. that would be a perfect terrorist vs counter terrorist setting. ...



emuscles's Avatar
emuscles at 05/03/2007 02:39

idiotic events like this are what make violent, not video games.
PSIq0ut's Avatar
PSIq0ut at 05/03/2007 02:40

wow... poor kid.
Nex's Avatar
Nex at 05/03/2007 03:08

@ emuscles:
You sir, have the greatest avatar of all time.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 05/03/2007 03:09

I wonder what game it was for? Personally, I would consider it fun to run around a level based on a real-life location my friends and I frequented... but ever since Columbine, doing something like this is asking for trouble even if it's harmless.
Pangloss's Avatar
Pangloss at 05/03/2007 03:24

I'm trying furiously to come up with a joke somehow relating the confiscated hammer and the Hammer map editor for Steam, but I got nothin', folks. I'm sorry.
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 05/03/2007 03:32

Even though media figures have called Jack Thompson on his stupid claims in relation to Virginia Tech, the suggestion still remains in the minds of America.
some_dude's Avatar
some_dude at 05/03/2007 04:12

Doing something like expelling a kid for no real reason would be more likely to make him go crackers and start poppin' caps than playing a CS map of his school. I think once the guard has changed and more gamers are in positions of power and authority this kinda crap will happen a lot less.
Burnt Meatloaf's Avatar
Burnt Meatloaf at 05/03/2007 05:13

It's Texas. Enough said.
brad drac's Avatar
brad drac at 05/03/2007 05:32

According to game|life, the game was counterstrike.

Can you say culture of fear?
Nex's Avatar
Nex at 05/03/2007 05:58

@ Brad:
Yeah, Game|Life says it's CS, but they got their info from Next Gen who got their info where I did, and they are they only one saying Counterstrike. The original piece, nor the Next Gen piece, does not name the game.
Though, we are all assuming it was CS.
Usedtabe's Avatar
Usedtabe at 05/03/2007 06:15

@Nexypoo
When I read the article that was linked from Kotaku(which I think was the Fort Bend paper), it named CS as the game. Even in the comments, the writer of the article even clarified that it wasn't a modified version of CS, but the original CS
Nex's Avatar
Nex at 05/03/2007 06:26

@ The World:
I'm an idiot. Forgive me and I'll bring scones next week.
GENACON's Avatar
GENACON at 05/03/2007 06:42

You know, if he had a copy of Red Steel for the Wii anywhere in his room. He would be screwed.
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 05/03/2007 07:13

Lame ass people who pull this shit suck. Now its only a matter of time before JT hops on this
AngelsDontBurn's Avatar
AngelsDontBurn at 05/03/2007 07:28

You have no idea how much this pissed me off. Fort Bend is literally about 5 minutes away from my work, it's really sad. I tried posting on the Fortbend site but for some reason my comment didn't post, I'm guessing it's because everyone and their Mom was blowing it up at the time. All of this is going way too far and it's getting out of hand. I mean a map in Counter-Strike? My god what the hell. I know for a fact there's ALOT of maps built off of schools and stores. So stupid. Then when they searched his house they found swords, that were on display and they made a commotion about them. I guess they assumed the kid planned on going out all knight style on everyone.
Bluefusion's Avatar
Bluefusion at 05/03/2007 08:04

I don't know guys.. Making counter-strike maps of fictitious locations is one thing, but making one of your school? If I were the principal I'd have had the kid arrested too. The authorities don't have any idea what the hell is going on in the kid's head. If I were still a student in high school and a kid made a map of our school, [i]I[/] would want someone to check into it.

At the very least, you have to admit it was done in poor taste. Just because you have the right to do something doesn't mean its sensible.

Now bring on the hate..
SuperDave's Avatar
SuperDave at 05/03/2007 08:18

OH SHIT, DANGEROUS WEAPON

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demiurge's Avatar
demiurge at 05/03/2007 08:20

If i were a student there i'd make characters with the faces of all my teachers and the principle. distribute to all my friends start a lan party at school and see if they expell my entire year
SuperDave's Avatar
SuperDave at 05/03/2007 08:27

Son of a...

Let's try this again.

DANGEROUS WEAPON
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MechaMonkey's Avatar
MechaMonkey at 05/03/2007 08:30

My guess: The administrators of that school are gonna get reamed when it comes to a battle over the legality of expelling him. And then the police are going to get double-reamed for taking a kid into custody over this, as well as for confiscating a hammer as a deadly weapon. Better hide your toolboxes folks, we're all murderers it seems.
free touch's Avatar
free touch at 05/03/2007 08:34

I've read that, even though they just found out about it, the map was released 2 months ago. Apparently, it was only distributed to friends. And as most of you should know, it takes more than a week to make a map.
PwnDaddy's Avatar
PwnDaddy at 05/03/2007 08:40

I actually did something similar at my high school, where we made a CS map of the high school. I think that's everyones dream to play CS in somewhere you work or go to school. Only problem was it wasn't done with blueprints, but from memory. We didn't get expelled, but all the computers got wiped clean and most of us denied working on it (how were they going to prove I was Pwn Daddy Magnus? Their IT guy was working on the project with us!). But yeah, expelling and arresting is BS. I can see detention and some other sort of punishment, but not arrested. Shit, I mean why not arrest vALVE, since you know, they gave him the software to run the game.
MechaMonkey's Avatar
MechaMonkey at 05/03/2007 08:45

HALT! HAMMERZEIT!

Good story, except you've got your facts wrong. The boy was not expelled, he was transferred to the district's special education school and not allowed to partake in his class' graduation ceremonies. He also was not arrested, nor were any criminal charges filed.

Please check sources, kthxbai.

I still think it's ridiculous.
MechaMonkey's Avatar
MechaMonkey at 05/03/2007 08:47

Oh, and they found swords along with the hammer. Which were most likely decorative, but he was Asian, so he obviously could instinctively use them effectively as weapons.
BahamutZero's Avatar
BahamutZero at 05/03/2007 08:47

"Then, in November 1948, a tragic event in Canada's Yukon Territory added fuel to the fire. Two boys, aged 11 and 13, stole a rifle and hid by the highway near Dawson Creek. They shot at a passing car, fatally wounding a passenger. The senseless nature of the murder, as well as the murderers' young age, sparked a public outcry, and the ensuing investigation found that both boys were avid readers of true-crime comic books. Both the judge and prosecutor at the trial blamed comic books for contributing to the victim's death, and the case provided powerful ammunition to anti-comic crusaders. Fredric Wertham, the American psychiatrist at the forefront of the anti-comics crusade, even titled Chapter 11 of his book, Seduction of the Innocent, "Murder in Dawson Creek."
dvddesign 's Avatar
dvddesign at 05/03/2007 09:43

I would have killed (poor choice of words?) to have a DM Doom II map of my high school. My HS was a HUGE campus that had lots of small rooms and stairs, etc.

I would've really enjoyed something like that as a cathartic release, yet, I don't actually own a gun or any deadly, deadly hammers...
Rezbit's Avatar
Rezbit at 05/03/2007 09:50

Everybody, say goodbye to Agent MOO. The authorities are probably at his house as we speak!

Rant GO!!! This is simply ridiculous. Confiscating a hammer? WTF? I guess we should also ban any kind of laser tag, paintball, and hell, lets ban all videogames so there is absolutely no chance people will replicate them in any context. That goes for sports games too. We don't want people pretending they are pro-baseballers and getting killed when someone throws a 10mph speed ball.
B-Radicate's Avatar
B-Radicate at 05/03/2007 09:51

well stated. it is this type of thing that does indeed cause such frustration that kids do stupid stuff like murder people. and a hammer? they stole his hammer. for real now, come on people. did they take all his pencils he takes to class, too? borne identity showed me how nasty it can be to stab someone with those, too. idiots. i hope the courts throw this out seeing as there was apparently NO REASON to actually arrest him. the kid did nothing wrong at all.
Camling's Avatar
Camling at 05/03/2007 10:50

Few years ago, my brother was doing level of his school for Quake. When I see this, thanks god he wasn`t able to finish it, my whole family would be arrested with all those dangerous things we have at home, like knifes or screwdrivers....
digiwalsh's Avatar
digiwalsh at 05/03/2007 10:56

This kid should get a good lawyer and sue for personal damages.
Camling's Avatar
Camling at 05/03/2007 11:05

...and especiall˙ for confiscation of his hammer...
SlavedHeart's Avatar
SlavedHeart at 05/03/2007 11:05

Ya know, this is quite funny actually... several people seem to think that a 'changing of the guard' will stop things like this from happening (i.e. when "we come to power" as it used to be known), but unbeknownst to them, there are millions of uptight conservative kids that aren't represented here in gamer forums just waiting to take their daddy's place in politics...

This should be a wake up call to ALL gamers out there, start making a difference in your community, or your morality will be dictated to you by people who never touched a game console for fear of it's "satan inducing powers".

Just thoughts, but everyone should be having them...
fearian's Avatar
fearian at 05/03/2007 11:27

SHIT! I gotta hide my maps! wipe the hard drive, WIPE IT!

Im gonna get put away for this.
Pepillou2's Avatar
Pepillou2 at 05/03/2007 11:28

LOLOLOLOL
BA Chieftain's Avatar
BA Chieftain at 05/03/2007 12:49

I really feel like each increment this moves is closer and closer to outlawing video games or at least having government regulation of the content (which is about the same to me).

If we get in a world where Pokemon is outlawed because it models animal cruelty, I'll lead the Revolution (we'll codename Wii and everyone will be confused).
imbeta's Avatar
imbeta at 05/03/2007 14:25

Well, it doesn't have to end here... is there a petition or an appeal that gamers worldwide can sign or something?

LET'S STAND BY OUR OWN, PEOPLE!!! LET'S LOOK AFTER EACH OTHER!!!
WmV337's Avatar
WmV337 at 05/03/2007 20:10

Quick question,

Is it just me, or are all of these school board members, political leaders, and media personalitys, ignorant and retarded as Justin"Whats a video game?"Murry. Besides, i've seen cs,far cry, and doom maps of schools, buildings, wal-marts, wtf? Does it really matter that much?
Eschatos's Avatar
Eschatos at 05/03/2007 20:11

Those who would give up a little liberty, in exchange for a little security, deserve neither, and will lose both.
-Benjamin Franklin

Just a little description of what is happening to us, in regards to free speech, i.e. videogames.
Ambulance-Y's Avatar
Ambulance-Y at 05/03/2007 21:19

i'd like to see a world trade center counter-strike map. that would be a perfect terrorist vs counter terrorist setting.


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