In yet another case of game-related homicide, a 13-year-old Pennsylvania boy stabbed his 16-year-old brother to death last Sunday over an argument stemming from whose turn it was to use the boys’ video game console. Police Chief Daniel Kortan had this to say regarding the incident:
I don’t believe the actual game itself was the cause of it. I don’t believe they were acting out in any way or mimicking anything in a video game. I believe it was actual use of the game and whose turn it was
The tragedy lies, of course, in the homicide, but we also have to applaud the police chief for not irresponsibly placing the blame on the game itself. In a case where the game played such an integral role in the violence, cynical gaming news sites almost expect to see the media and the authorities pin liability on our electronic past time, but for the police to look past it and see it as the actions of a disturbed boy in an unfortunate situation is refreshing.
The assailant, 13-year-old Jahmir Ricks is currently being held by police and will face homicide charges as an adult.
Our condolences are with the family and their community.
[Via GamePolitics]
[Updated to correct all the flaws that appear in my abilities at 3am.]
