Video Games Caused Some Real-World Violence Over the Weekend

Recently, there’s been a lot of talk – mostly by right-wing politicians with “skin in the game”, to put it charitably – on the subject of video games inspiring real-world violence. A particular subject I thought we had gotten past, but apparently, there are people who are just really desperate to blame anything to blame the uptick in violence on everything except the easily accessibility of guns. And while I’m quite comfortable openly mocking these viewpoints, there are times when it’s a harder to simply brush off. And in the subject of fairness, there are times when it needs more earnest addressing.

For example, it was recently reported by the Associated Press that a 13-year old girl from Monroe County, Mississippi, was killed by her 9-year-old brother when he shot her in the head because the girl “wouldn’t give up the video game controller when her brother wanted it”. We don’t know what gun he used, or how he got it, but he surely did the deed and in the end the girl died from her injuries in a local hospital.

The police are still investigating the shooting, and while we can easily blame the easily accessibility of the gun, well… we can’t say gaming played no role in this horrible event. Even if it was just the catalyst.

And apparently, you don’t even need to have a gun to get violent over games. Washington TV Station KATU (via Game Informer) recently reported that two men were attacked – physically attacked – by a man with a crowbar because they were trying to take a gym in Pokémon go which was currently occupied by the attacker. They were able to restrain him with only mild injuries, and now the attacker is facing assault and malicious mischief charges.

You know, I really do love the gaming community, but it’s stuff like this that makes me sick to my stomach. I hope both these attackers get the help they desperately need.