A seemingly innocent video game sale in Detroit, Michigan turned deadly when the seller tried to rob the buyer. Now, a teenager is dead in the wake of what police are calling a “senseless” act of violence.
Video Game Sale Fatal Shooting
According to police, the incident involved a man, his teenage son, and a second teenager. The man and his son had arranged to purchase a video game from the second teenager. When the three met in person, the seller pulled a gun and attempted to rob the man and his son. Somehow, tensions escalated and the seller-turned-robber fired his gun, hitting the man’s son in the face. The man responded by drawing his own gun and firing at the robber, hitting and killing him.
Police are currently investigating whether the man’s deadly retaliation was justified. In a press conference, they condemned the violent outcome as “senseless.” A neighbor who heard the shooting also expressed how “ridiculous” she felt the whole situation was. The neighbor was shocked that such violence could be born of something as simple as a video game sale.
Repeat Offenders
Unfortunately, video game sale-related violence isn’t exactly an uncommon trend as of late. Just last week, an 11-year-old North Carolina resident had to defend himself from a would-be video game thief. The thief tried to menace the child with an unloaded BB gun, but the child defended himself with a machete. Thankfully, only the thief was injured in that particular case.
Back in April, a group of four Ohio children were robbed of their video game consoles at gunpoint. The children were understandably shaken up by the experience, but otherwise unharmed.
Video games and consoles are prime targets for would-be-criminals, so it’s important to take proper precautions if you own them. Also, if you’re going to meet a third party for a transaction, do so in a public place. The father in the above story may have acted with righteous intent, but a teenager is still dead.
Image Source: Flickr – Sean Davis