Halo Killer Sentenced to Life

[Internet Kraken]

The kid was in a rage. He just would have used some weapon. Don't get me wrong, the other weapon may not have been fatal (though he probably could have killed them with a knife to). But we really don't need to blame the death on guns. The problem we want to solve here is stupidity. Make people realize that keeping your guns locked in a secure place is important.

Kwah, "guns don't kill people, people kill people." I think it would really help if you took the guns out of the equation. Guns can kill you at a distance and almost instantly. Knives, you can go hide. And I'm fairly certain that there are statistics proving that countries where guns are prohibited among the general public have lower gun murder rates.

So what's your point?

Should we ban guns just because some people are stupid? I don't like that idea. Rather than just take the easy way out of banning guns, I think it would be better to encourage proper gun management. If people handle their guns properly then incidents like this won't occur.

 

[IrrelevantTangent]

I'm so glad to hear that the authorities decided to focus on whether or not videogames caused the kid to kill his mother and wound his father, rather than, oh, I don't know, mental issues, insanity, little things like that.

Because, as we all know, it's better to blame VIDEOGAMES than POOR PARENTING and MENTAL ILLNESS.

What's wrong with this picture?

 

[lasherman]

The way i see it, its just an attempt to shift the blame from inadequate gun control laws. The americans can't lose their guns now can they. Lets blame all the violence on games instead of giving out guns like candy.

This could have been easily avoided if the box the gun was in was locked.

This whole thing reeks of stupidity. The kid killing his parents was stupid. The parents leaving the gun box unlocked was stupid. The judge's comments on video games was stupid.

Even if the box WAS locked, you never know what could have happened. Maybe he would stab them in their sleep instead, or bludgeon them with a hammer. If he was willing to murder his own parents with a gun, he would probably be willing to murder them with anything.

 

[Florion]

The kid was in a rage. He just would have used some weapon. Don't get me wrong, the other weapon may not have been fatal (though he probably could have killed them with a knife to). But we really don't need to blame the death on guns. The problem we want to solve here is stupidity. Make people realize that keeping your guns locked in a secure place is important.

Kwah, "guns don't kill people, people kill people." I think it would really help if you took the guns out of the equation. Guns can kill you at a distance and almost instantly. Knives, you can go hide. And I'm fairly certain that there are statistics proving that countries where guns are prohibited among the general public have lower gun murder rates.

So what's your point?

Should we ban guns just because some people are stupid? I don't like that idea. Rather than just take the easy way out of banning guns, I think it would be better to encourage proper gun management. If people handle their guns properly then incidents like this won't occur.

"Easy way out?" Why do you need guns in the first place??? If you're being attacked, your weapon is far more likely to be used against you.

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

The kid was in a rage. He just would have used some weapon. Don't get me wrong, the other weapon may not have been fatal (though he probably could have killed them with a knife to). But we really don't need to blame the death on guns. The problem we want to solve here is stupidity. Make people realize that keeping your guns locked in a secure place is important.

millions of retarded americans

Nice generalization.

Yeah, sorry with the generalisation, sometimes i just cant help myself XD.
The most sensible option would be to not give civillians guns. If he hadnt had a gun, maybe he would have just attacked with his fists or maybe even gone to his room and settled down a bit and nobody would be dead. When you dont have easy access to weapons, you are less likely to do serious damage.

"guns don't kill people, people kill people."

 

[Xvito]

You know what would be awesome?

If every time someone was shot, the people making/selling the guns would be held responsible...

Also, gun control is good for you.

That is like blaming FORD everytime someone gets drunk and behind the wheel. Millions of people can drive sober and not have an accident but that 1 moron who gets drunk and kills someone is not the manufacturers fault. If you have a gun it should be locked up. You can't blame them because you are to damn stupid not to.

No, actually it's more like blaming the people who made/sold the alcohol.

But in my opinion Ford should get some of the blame as well.

Obviously the person who shot/drove/whatever should also get the blame...

 

[0p3rati0n]

a boy going to jail for life over a stupid video game. HAHA looks like the worlds really f***ed up now! Where's the joker when you need me

 

[G1eet]

Perhaps the kid thought that his parents had more then one life?

I hate to say this, but he probably freaked when he didn't hear the timer or see them respawn.

 

[garacius]

As someone who has grown up with guns in the house, as well as first went too the firing range with my father at the age of 5, I find the fact the strongbox wasn't locked, as well as the fact that there were obviously no trigger locks, appalling. The father clearly wanted leniency for the kid as he felt guilt for his own screwup in this matter.

Also, it seems clear that the father never taught the kid too respect the guns as the deadly tools that they are (the very first thing I was taught before I even loaded that first cartridge into that single shot, bolt action rifle), which I find too be the major problem in the states in general.

This kid was clearly mentally unstable. He should have recieved help months, maybe even years before. I could easily see this kid going crazy for his parents refusing him chocolate, which, of course, would have gotten no media attention.

Oh, and btw as someone who lives in Canada, I believe that it's not a problem with gun laws, but a problem with, as mentioned above, people not being taught too respect guns.

 

[squid5580]

I don't think this had anything to do with video games! it was just a child being a spoiled brat!

It had to do with addiction. From What I can gather the kid was either plain out psycho or was addicted to halo, and if it was the latter his parents taking it away would trigger an event like this. that's not saying it was the games fault, if he had been addicted to a movie or a TV show and his parents took it away the same thing could have happened.

Wow I love the world today. We can blame everything on addiction. Lets just take any personal responsibility and throw it out the window. Soon gamers are gonna be at the corners of Gamestop lookin for thier next fix. Maybe grind up those DVDs and snort them. Use the instruction books as rolling papers and smoke them puppies.

Read what I said to the other guy and stop being so smug in your lack of knowledge.

What lack of knowledge. That fact that I believe that if you find something you like doing that doesn't effect your brain in any physical sense (like cocaine) you can't get addicted to it? Not without having alot of other psychological issues to boot.

 

[Superlordbasil]

Sad event but preventing your son from playing a game but then you keep a fully loaded gun in an unlocked box seems tad paradoxical

 

[Xvito]

You know what would be awesome?

If every time someone was shot, the people making/selling the guns would be held responsible...

Also, gun control is good for you.

Wow, that makes sense.

Oh wait, no it doesn't. The people who made the gun are not responsible. The people who left the gun in an unlocked lock box are responsible.

Yes, you are right about one thing (the people who didn't lock the lockbox are responsible), the person who fired the gun is also responsible... Along with the people who made/sold the gun. If it were illegal to make/sell guns less people would be shot... Fact.

 

[magnuslion]

I find in interesting that when a child turns out all screwed up, no one ever blames the parents. If the kid had won a Pulitzer or noble peace prize, I bet his dad would be first in line to take some credit for it. but he goes crazy over a game, and it has nothing to do with how he was raised?
Pardon me while i stretch my incredulity.

 

[squid5580]

You know what would be awesome?

If every time someone was shot, the people making/selling the guns would be held responsible...

Also, gun control is good for you.

That is like blaming FORD everytime someone gets drunk and behind the wheel. Millions of people can drive sober and not have an accident but that 1 moron who gets drunk and kills someone is not the manufacturers fault. If you have a gun it should be locked up. You can't blame them because you are to damn stupid not to.

No, actually it's more like blaming the people who made/sold the alcohol.

But in my opinion Ford should get some of the blame as well.

Obviously the person who shot/drove/whatever should also get the blame...

Are you serious? Did the person who made or sold the alchohol make him get behind the wheel? Did FORD Ceo run to the bar and put the keys in his hands and tell him you are ok to drive and go home. Hey why not while we are at it blame the victim for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. They didn't have to be infront of him afterall.

 

[Symplify]

Double kill?

I think the judge should actually see if there is any psychological evidence that video games stimulate the same effects in the brain as drugs. They might, but not nearly as powerfully.

Sad event but preventing your son from playing a game but then you keep a fully loaded gun in an unlocked box seems tad paradoxical

Why? Who expects their child to go postal because he couldn't play a video game?

 

[black lincon]

I don't think this had anything to do with video games! it was just a child being a spoiled brat!

It had to do with addiction. From What I can gather the kid was either plain out psycho or was addicted to halo, and if it was the latter his parents taking it away would trigger an event like this. that's not saying it was the games fault, if he had been addicted to a movie or a TV show and his parents took it away the same thing could have happened.

Wow I love the world today. We can blame everything on addiction. Lets just take any personal responsibility and throw it out the window. Soon gamers are gonna be at the corners of Gamestop lookin for thier next fix. Maybe grind up those DVDs and snort them. Use the instruction books as rolling papers and smoke them puppies.

Read what I said to the other guy and stop being so smug in your lack of knowledge.

What lack of knowledge. That fact that I believe that if you find something you like doing that doesn't effect your brain in any physical sense (like cocaine) you can't get addicted to it? Not without having a lot of other psychological issues to boot.

Once again, you lack knowledge. You can get addicted to things mentally. You are capable of convincing yourself that you need them. Ask members of the staff here, some of them were addicted to games, they even made a video about it for one of the magazine issues here! Ask the other guy who was rebutting me but realized what I was talking about, he said he was addicted to games. Go ask a doctor, you can get addicted to things mentally, it's simply a fact, and if your not willing to recognize that the conversation ends here.

 

[squid5580]

You know what would be awesome?

If every time someone was shot, the people making/selling the guns would be held responsible...

Also, gun control is good for you.

Wow, that makes sense.

Oh wait, no it doesn't. The people who made the gun are not responsible. The people who left the gun in an unlocked lock box are responsible.

Yes, you are right about one thing (the people who didn't lock the lockbox are responsible), the person who fired the gun is also responsible... Along with the people who made/sold the gun. If it were illegal to make/sell guns less people would be shot... Fact.

Then the headline would read Halo killer stabbed parents, or strangled them, or poisoned them. One thing the human race has been good at is figuring out how to kill each other.

 

[gh0ti]

I'm not one for the "videogames cause violence" argument, but there is no doubt in my mind that some people develop a bond with gaming that can have a real physiological impact just as other more commonly recognised addictions have.

Yes, gun control would be a very good idea. Yes, the father was foolish for keeping his gun where his unstable son could get hold of it. And yes, there were probably other factors at work here that aren't quite as sexy to the media. But I can see how a gaming 'addiction' could act as a dangerous trigger in such circumstances as these.

The truth is, games, especially of the online, competitive variety, can bring up a whole host of emotions in people who play them to excess, and though for most of us this isn't a problem in our daily lives, there are those, perhaps with underlying psychological problems who struggle to control such emotions when denied their 'fix' - in this case with disastrous consequences.