Teen kills mom over video game...

[DandyFop]

ELYRIA, Ohio – Although a teenager's obsession with a violent video game may have warped his sense of reality, the boy is guilty of murdering his mother and wounding his father after they took "Halo 3" away from him, a judge ruled Monday.
"I firmly believe that Daniel Petric had no idea at the time he hatched this plot that if he killed his parents they would be dead forever," Lorain County Common Pleas Judge James Burge said.

Nonetheless, Burge rejected the defense attorneys' argument that Petric, 17, was not guilty by reason of insanity.
The defense didn't contest that Petric shot his parents in October 2007 after they took the game away from him, but insisted that the teen's youth and addiction made him less responsible.

Petric may have been addicted, but the evidence also showed he planned the crime for weeks, said Burge, who found the teenager guilty of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder and other charges.

Tried as an adult, Petric faces a maximum possible penalty of life in prison without parole. The judge didn't set a sentencing date.
The teen's mother, Susan Petric, 43, died of a gunshot wound to the head. Her husband, Mark Petric, a minister at New Life Assembly of God in Wellington, also was shot in the head but survived.
After the verdict was announced, Petric turned to look at his father seated behind him in the courtroom. Mark Petric, who previously said he has forgiven his son, gave an encouraging nod.

Mark Petric and other relatives left the court without comment.

Prosecutors said Petric planned to kill his parents because he was angry that his father would not allow him to play the video game, in which players shoot alien monsters that have taken over the Earth.
On the night of the shooting, Petric used his father's key to open a lockbox and remove a 9 mm handgun and the game.
Mark Petric testified that his son came into the room and asked: "Would you guys close your eyes? I have a surprise for you." He testified that he expected a pleasant surprise. Then his head went numb from the gunshot.
Deputy prosecuting attorney Anthony Cillo argued during the trial that the teenager had planned to make it appear to be a murder-suicide by putting the gun in his father's hand.
Defense Attorney James Kersey said that when the teenager fled the grisly scene, he only took one item with him: the "Halo 3" game.
Bungie LLC, once part of Microsoft, developed the Xbox 360-exclusive Halo 3, and Microsoft owns the game's intellectual property. Microsoft declined to comment beyond a statement: "We are aware of the situation and it is a tragic case."

This is really disturbing me...it's hard to know exactly what happened, obviously he was a bit fucked up if he got to that point but god damn, video game addiction is getting a bit bad these days. They try to take it away because they realize what it's doing to him and...bam. That's that. Sounds like a kid like that should never have been around that kind of stuff but I guess that can be hard to prevent nowadays. I'd like to think that when I have kids I wouldn't allow them to play with any of that kind of crap but it's soooo common these days it seems like it would be hard to avoid. What do you guys think?

The whole "I have a surprise for you" thing....god damn.

[Kid Presentable]

It's crazy that kids have never known a world or life without video games.

[ms.peachy]

I do have to wonder if this kid has some form of autism. The single-minded obsessiveness over the game, the inability to empathise with the parents, the failure to project the consequence of his actions. I have to assume though that his defense counsel would have explored this, so perhaps not. Quite an intense story though.

[Audio.]

well I'm not gonna blame the video game on this (except it influenced his motive) and he might of just use to have psychological issues. Obviously. Either way i am not mad at the kid but more or so sad for the family.

We need to enforce the belt. a bit. but not too less. sometimes. but with ...I dunno, of course its all psychological (duh) and whatever it was is not too late for help and they should know video games is not the answer at solving life's problems.

[yeahwho]

so when is halo 4 coming out?

[Kid Presentable]

Nah you gotta hit kids, man. Not to excess, but they have to understand consequences.

[Matt]

kid: "Sorry for killing mom and trying to kill you, and attempting to make it look like you did it, all for a video game."

dad: "It's k."

[DandyFop]

well I'm not gonna blame the video game on this (except it influenced his motive) and he might of just use to have psychological issues. Obviously. Either way i am not mad at the kid but more or so sad for the family.

We need to enforce the belt. a bit. but not too less. sometimes. but with ...I dunno, of course its all psychological (duh) and whatever it was is not too late for help and they should know video games is not the answer at solving life's problems.

That's the problem, there is no one to "blame" really, but it still makes you question some things. More so than the violent nature of games is the addiction aspect of them that worries me the most. We've all had our small addictions to games, I am sure, myself included. I can imagine that it on that scale would be something fairly intense. Seems like it might be difficult to prevent that.

I don't think hitting the kid would have helped, I don't even know why that is coming up in this thread.

[russhie]

^Yeah, hitting kids is one of those things that'll be debated over forever. My mum belted me when I was a teenager, and it took me a long time to sort myself out, and fix my feelings about the situation. I don't mean that she'd hit me to the point that I'd have black eyes, but it was a little more than a tap on the bum. My mum was abusive towards me in so many ways and I truly hated her for a long time - but I eventually stood up to her and she stopped bullying me. I think all of that has made me really intolerant to any kind of physical intimidation...I just couldn't abide an abusive partner.

I think what I'm trying to say is, while the abusive elements of the whole hitting thing have hurt me in alot of ways (beyond physically), it's also made me a better person in other ways? All in all I think giving kids a little smack for bad behaviour isn't really that much of a bad idea.

Anyway. Back to videogame-crazed kids attempting to murder their parents.

[Lyman Zerga]

so when is halo 4 coming out?

haha

[ScarySquirrel]

I find it hilarious that he fled with the video game. Now that's priceless.

I was just thinking though... isn't it about time we came up with something to describe them other than "video games"? It seems to sound kind of archaic to me. Then again, I really have no suggestions at the moment... it might just be me too. Come up with something better for me, people!

[kaiser soze]

Virtual Reality Assassination Training Programs?

This is fucked up, who is to blame? The video game makers? the parents? or the kid?

My girlfriend's brother is so addicted to video games it's pathetic. The kid is 19 years old and just learned how to make a grill cheese sandwich. He has ADHD so you'd think they would be careful about over exposing him to these types of games, but I get the impression it's used as a suppression technique.

He even leaves the damn thing on while we're eating or having discussions at the table, it is annoying and rude. I guess he's pitched fits when it has broken (from playing it 18 hrs a day maybe?), or when it was taken away because of his just barely C avg in school.

These kinds of obsessions should be a major concern

[Pres Zount]

I guess every parent has to make the decision over whether their child is mature and responsible enough to play violent video games. I wouldn't say that these parents are at "fault", since it would be pretty hard to tell. Sad story.

[fucktopgirl]

Anyway, we don`t know the full story, maybe the kid was not stable at first , the video game did not helped him. Maybe his father did not help him, he was in the NEW life assembly of god. Maybe that what did it. OK bad jok.

But that for sure that any kind of obssession will harm someone mental and capacity to survive properly in this world. I don`t think it is just violent video game. Parent are there to educate and protect their kid and to be able to see if something wrong. The parents failed to see that their son was not top shape. They did not gave their son enough tools to be balance, obviously. Or maybe they did and he was just a extreme case of our sick society.

[Funky Pepp]

Yeah blame the video games. Don't even think about blaming the guns. :rolleyes:

Why the fuck do the parents have a gun in their house. I think if they want to live with guns under their pillows they are not to pity for having a disturbed kid or being killed!

[Pres Zount]

Halo 3 isn't even that good.

[saz]

I don't think hitting the kid would have helped, I don't even know why that is coming up in this thread.

threads will always get sidetracked.

thanks for posting this, a very disturbing story. pure speculation here, but the kid might be an alienated sociopath, and may have had a strict religious upbringing. and why would a christian minister own a gun in the first place. anyways i think there is something wrong with this family, especially considering the father's reaction in the courtroom after the verdict was read. or perhaps he's in shock and it's his way of dealing with the situation.

[fucktopgirl]

^ you resume my idea but in a better form...

[Adam]

oh ffs. The video game has nothing to do with it.

If they didn't exist, the murder would still happen. They'd be something else to blame.

Kids obsess over things - its their nature to do so, and if not treated can lead to a problem but a parent generally knows when something is bad for them before it gets to a tipping point.

It is sad but looking for something to blame like that is stupid.

Say if he thought he parents was aliens or was holding his flag running to their base, then maybe he was so detached from reality he thought it was the game he was playing but that is just pure bullshit and unlikely. But then and only then maybe the game influenced it. But then imho it'd be a stretch to blame it.

People who write these articles don't play games, watch movies, or do anything else but judge every1 elses lifestyle that seems more fun.

[ms.peachy]

and why would a christian minister own a gun in the first place.
Why wouldn't he?

anyways i think there is something wrong with this family, especially considering the father's reaction in the courtroom after the verdict was read. or perhaps he's in shock and it's his way of dealing with the situation.
Or perhaps he is, as a Christian, practising forgiveness?

[ms.peachy]

People who write these articles don't play games, watch movies, or do anything else but judge every1 elses lifestyle that seems more fun.

I don't see anywhere in the article where the videogame is being 'blamed'.

[saz]

Why wouldn't he?


Or perhaps he is, as a Christian, practising forgiveness?

i thought christianity was supposed to involve love and goodwill etc. unless of course the father is a far right-wing gun nut.

good point about forgiveness, i'm on five hours sleep.

[ms.peachy]

i thought christianity was supposed to involve love and goodwill etc. unless of course the father is a far right-wing gun nut.


Well obviously I can't comment on the father's political stance as I do not know him personally, but there are of course may different variations of Christianity, and as far as I know most of them do not prohibit gun ownership. All we know is that this guy had one gun, that was kept in a locked box. Hardly qualifies him as a "gun nut". Maybe he just enjoyed target practice as a hobby, who knows.

[Adam]

I don't see anywhere in the article where the videogame is being 'blamed'.

ok, It hints at that with the title "Teen kills mom over video game..." but yeah, ok, they don't blame the game.

They should re-word the title so it doesn't sound like its a article about video games - just a murder.

I take back what I say.

[kaiser soze]

Well, the videogame was the reason why the kid killed his mom

sad and fucked up, his mom is dead for Halo!?

[Adam]

Well, the videogame was the reason why the kid killed his mom

sad and fucked up, his mom is dead for Halo!?

no & no.

[kaiser soze]

So he just happened to grab the game with the gun accidentally and then accidentally put it in his pocket

Even if there is a mental disorder that influenced his actions, the motive still points to the game.

[ms.peachy]

Even if there is a mental disorder that influenced his actions, the motive still points to the game.

No, his motive was to have his own way and not accept his parents' rules. It happened to be over a game, but it could have been anything else he was preoccupied with.

[saz]

Well obviously I can't comment on the father's political stance as I do not know him personally, but there are of course may different variations of Christianity, and as far as I know most of them do not prohibit gun ownership. All we know is that this guy had one gun, that was kept in a locked box. Hardly qualifies him as a "gun nut". Maybe he just enjoyed target practice as a hobby, who knows.

the father's political stance was just speculation. sorry i do not see any logic in owning a gun, whether for murdering animals or target practice.

[paul jones]

kids are spoilt these days.society is hurtling backwards very fast

[DandyFop]

They should re-word the title so it doesn't sound like its a article about video games - just a murder.


I don't believe it's "just a murder". The kid took only the game after killing them. It's pretty obvious that it had to do a lot with what happened.

I'm sick of people protecting video games as if they have nothing to do with what is going on in these situations. No, generally they aren't going to take a normal person and turn them into a sociopath. But you can't argue that it doesn't desensitize people highly to violence, and put them in a first-person perspective for it. People get so defensive about video games and insisting they don't do any harm.

[Dorothy Wood]

I have a feeling the kid would be a sociopath with or without the game. I mean, the game was locked up WITH the gun...he had the key, he could've just run away with it or played it in secret...he didn't have to shoot his parents in the head, he just wanted to.

I tend to agree with peachy's autism speculation, but it seems like it would be a really touchy thing to prove that someone was a murderer because they were autistic, so maybe they didn't even touch it. meh, I don't know, that article is missing a lot of information.

the whole thing is very sad :(

[DandyFop]

He also planned it out for weeks. I'm not saying he wouldn't be fucked up without it, but perhaps the idea that you can just shoot someone willy-nilly wouldn't crop up so easily in his mind were he not virtually doing it for hours on end.

[b i o n i c]

to think that this didnt have anything to do with games is silly. probably not the only thing, but like df said, he did spend hours a day shooting people on a screen and he did find it important enough to break out of a safe and to them take with him after he shot his parents in the head. i would think this had a lot to do with the game and everything else too

[Adam]

I'm defensive about video games yeah - I play them. I love them, they are my main form of entertainment.

But every argument I've heard has been said about pop music, movies, interweb, smoking pot, video games, drinking, twitter, tarintino, facebook, hungry hungry hippos, myspace.

When I heard the lyric "the girls I like are under aged" didn't turn me into a pedophile.

When I saw robocop for the first time I didn't want to build a half man half machine crime fighting hybrid with emotional problems.

When I first saw some porn I didn't want to rape the nearest women.

When I smoked, I didn't want to drop out of school. Well maybe I did but all kids do.

If Elvis was still releasing records and he grabbed an LP, he'd get the blame for this. Its just something to blame for horrible act of violence. The fact that he grab that game has nothing to do with it. I play games to be less stressed, when he committed the murder he was highly stressed no doubt, so you do whatever you need to do to de-stress. If that means pwning n00bs then fine. If it means going bowling - fine. If it means drinking coffee then fine.

Its irrelevant. Society has problems yeah, but popular entertainment media is not to blame. There is always a catalyst in any reaction. Education needs to be better, morals and lifestyle counseling needs to be offered to those at high risk of emotional problems. Recognising who these are is an even harder task than implementing it. But its far cheaper to stick a label on a game - cause an hysteria behind it and make M$ come out with some stupid comment to protect the game.

***ok, I used the word blame again. It hasn't been blamed. The author of the article just put video games in the title to grab more attention. But I can see such a story being paraphrased into "kid kills his mom cus of computer games".

I am also such a cynic that I think there is always studies going off trying to label blame on something popular like games to prove they are bad but they never get released as the study doesn't come up with the conclusion they want. The headline 'enjoying what you do in your spare time is good for you' doesn't make exciting reading. The reason I clicked this thread cus it had video games in the title.

IF, however, a study was released from a respectable source then I will consider the change. But the only studies to come out are those that have made while accusations about other things to, in my opinion - just to get their name in the paper - something like what Andrew Wakefield would do or something. But when discredited their findings, the damage has been done.

sorry for the rant. I am not having a go at any1 at all apart from maybe who ever wrote the article and I think this is a horrible thing to of happened. But I cannot see the connection to video games - seriously!

[Echewta]

This thread reminded me of this show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om_sHheGm04&feature=related

Now that is a video game addict.

[b i o n i c]

congratulations on being normal! just because they dont affect you, doesnt mean they dont affect weak minded individuals such as this dude

[Audio.]

That's the problem, there is no one to "blame" really, but it still makes you question some things. More so than the violent nature of games is the addiction aspect of them that worries me the most. We've all had our small addictions to games, I am sure, myself included. I can imagine that it on that scale would be something fairly intense. Seems like it might be difficult to prevent that.

I don't think hitting the kid would have helped, I don't even know why that is coming up in this thread.

hitting a kid will really depend somtimes during in a situation, kind of like where the kid acts bratty at supermarket and turns tantrum. Its a form a discipline only to be used when its is necessary, meaning if there isnt any other discipline to utilize. The act of kid where all the care in the world was just to take his video game rather than send for medics is very selfish. Taking an item of no greater value over the life of the living is just something ridiculous and thus childish, which in turn reminds me of spankings. Maybe he wasnt well disciplined morally or physically, but it shows right there the attitude of his.

I've read a couple of video game addictions where the result is murdering, running away, and suicide. Shooting games and RPG/MMORPG usually.
I remember I posted this last year, a boy from Canada ran away after a similiar story as this one where the parents realize the child's attitude is chaning after poor results at school. Locked the game they did. The kid was upset and ran way. The family is devastated, soon news of this spreads widely in matter of days and the search of this boy soon ends after a month.
The boy was found dead near the highway where he was last seen. The body was found in the wilderness. The game was Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

This one deals with RPG/MMORPG game called Everquest. It one of those popular games like WoW where you go online with other people in your own character. Every quest you complete the higher you stats go up. There has been in some occasions where people are so desperate to buy BUY other people's character (thats if their stats are high) for a price. Like reaching to grand money. The hightest I recalled was around 25K for a character.
You might of heard that they were some parents who have been playing this game for a far long time that their children starved to death. And here is another life story about the guy who played Everquest.
This is a man living on his own and had a job and until he started playing this game it was fine. Later one he became addicted. His brother invited him to his wedding but he didnt wanted to go because he wanted to stay and play Everquest online. His mother urged him and he went. Some time later during the year he stop going to work, and became involved with another player who in this role playing game (in the game) they were like a couple. She "broke up" with him to go play with another user. Because of this depression, he committed suicide. Shot to the face. Thank god for his loving family, but its too bad he didnt see that. Or acted on that.

The point is, there are problems but when one finds a way to get "rid" of the problems there is at a point where one develops an addiction. And it could end up very unhealthy. There are better methods in resolving problems and they should be taught to all of us.

[Adam]

congratulations on being normal! just because they dont affect you, doesnt mean they dont affect weak minded individuals such as this dude

There is always a catalyst in any reaction...

Obviously I missed the point. I mean, something sparked to do what he did, but pick any aspect of his life as well.

[Adam]

You might of heard that they were some parents who have been playing this game for a far long time that their children starved to death.

Perfect example of the damage been done to label a game. This originated from Korea and was proved bollocks but the damage has been done and Blizzard had to release some bullshit statement not to become child abusers if you play games.

But its still widely thought that this was a true story.

Ok, I won't reply anymore with rants. I sound like an obsessive trying justify my addiction.

ahem

;)

[Audio.]

Perfect example of the damage been done to label a game. This originated from Korea and was proved bollocks but the damage has been done and Blizzard had to release some bullshit statement not to become child abusers if you play games.

But its still widely thought that this was a true story.

Ok, I won't reply anymore with rants. I sound like an obsessive trying justify my addiction.

ahem

;) A fake. No surprises here. Anti-insert title here- usually come up with some boogus bullshit.

[kaiser soze]

No, his motive was to have his own way and not accept his parents' rules. It happened to be over a game, but it could have been anything else he was preoccupied with.

So I guess the motive for every crime should be To Have his or her own way considering well....that's what people want when they commit a crime.

right?

[ms.peachy]

So I guess the motive for every crime should be To Have his or her own way considering well....that's what people want when they commit a crime.

right?

Well for most crimes, certainly, yes. That is generally why crime is considered, you know, antisocial.

[kaiser soze]

oh

;)

[yeahwho]

Well for most crimes, certainly, yes. That is generally why crime is considered, you know, antisocial.

Theorists focus on the built-in reward systems of the games to explain their addictive nature. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_addiction)

Researchers at the University of Rochester and Immersyve Inc. investigated what motivates gamers to continue playing video games. According to lead investigator Richard Ryan, they believe that players play for more reasons than just mere fun. Ryan, a motivational psychologist at Rochester, says that many video games can satisfy some basic psychological needs and often players continue to play because of rewards, freedom, and often a connection with other players.

Dr. Brody, head of the media committee at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, puts forth that the addiction to computer games can be caused by psychological problems such as antisocial personality disorder, depression, and phobias such as social phobia. He believes that many addicts want a way to escape reality and then find that they can create a whole new persona on an online game and live their life through their new online personality. Through this they can start to like fantasy life more than reality due to newfound friends and power, and thus, refuse to be drawn away from it. Dr. Brody, like others, sees the problem in computer game addiction and believes it needs to be treated on the same level as a drug addiction. However, there is much controversy over video game addiction being diagnosed as a "disease" since, in some cases, it is much easier to treat than a drug addiction. According to him, computer and video game addiction is a disease. Dr. Karen Pierce, a psychiatrist at a children's hospital in Seattle, treats at least two children a week who play computer and video games excessively, and "treats it like any addiction."


Somewhere I read about this program here in Seattle, with our dismal weather we seem to get addicted pretty easily here. I think that it's a double edged sword, like drugs or alcohol, the person playing may already have an addictive personality. The nature of the game is violent so now instead of playing something like poker, slots roulette, your just shooting and killing all fucking day long.

This eventually will cause what I found for myself in my alcoholic drugged up years, "Incomprehensible Demoralization" which leads to some very anti-social behavior. The game didn't help. The parents only solution was to lock it up... I'm wondering if they thought about what should replace this void?

rambling that's all.

[kaiser soze]

Oh I agree of the desensitization and demoralizing influence of these type of games...no doubt about it

Last New Years 2007/2008 my girlfriend's brother the over-addicted gamer was displeased with the fact that there was no terrorist attack in Times Square.

He may end up my brother-in-law, but I think I'll keep my distance.

[mathcart]

a counter argument

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514213432.htm

Writing May 14 in the International Journal of Liability and Scientific Enquiry, Patrick Kierkegaard of the University of Essex, England, suggests that there is scant scientific evidence that video games are anything but harmless and that they do not lead to real world aggression. Moreover, his research shows that previous work is biased towards the opposite conclusion.

Video games have come a long way since the simplistic ping-pong and cascade games of the early 1970s, the later space-age Asteroids and Space Invaders, and the esoteric Pac-man. Today, severed limbs, drive-by shootings, and decapitated bodies captivate a new generation of gamers and gruesome scenes of violence and exploitation are the norm.

Award-winning video games, such as the Grand Theft Auto series, thrive on murder, theft, and destruction on every imaginable level explains Kierkegaard, and gamers boost their chances of winning the game by a virtual visit to a prostitute with subsequent violent mugging and recovery of monies exchanged. Games such as '25 To Life' remain controversial with storylines involving violent gangs taking hostages and killing cops, while games such as World of Warcraft and Doom are obviously unrelated to the art of crochet or gentle country walks.

Kierkegaard points out that these violent games are growing more realistic with each passing year and most relish their plots of violence, aggression and gender bias. But, he asks, "Is there any scientific evidence to support the claims that violent games contribute to aggressive and violent behaviour?"

Media scare stories about gamers obsessed with violent games and many research reports that claim to back up the idea that virtual violence breeds real violence would seem to suggest so. However, Kierkegaard has studied a range of such research papers several of which have concluded since the early 1980s that video games can lead to juvenile delinquency, fighting at school and during free play periods and violent criminal behaviour such as assault and robbery. Evidence from brain scans carried out while gamers play also seem to support a connection between playing video games and activation of regions of the brain associated with aggression.

However, Kierkegaard explains, there is no obvious link between real-world violence statistics and the advent of video games. If anything, the effect seems to be the exact opposite and one might argue that video game usage has reduced real violence. Despite several high profile incidents in US academic institutions, "Violent crime, particularly among the young, has decreased dramatically since the early 1990s," says Kierkegaard, "while video games have steadily increased in popularity and use. For example, in 2005, there were 1,360,088 violent crimes reported in the USA compared with 1,423,677 the year before. "With millions of sales of violent games, the world should be seeing an epidemic of violence," he says, "Instead, violence has declined."

Research is inconclusive, emphasises Kierkegaard. It is possible that certain types of video game could affect emotions, views, behaviour, and attitudes, however, so can books, which can lead to violent behaviour on those already predisposed to violence. The inherent biases in many of the research studies examined by Kierkegaard point to a need for a more detailed study of video games and their psychological effects

[funk63]

Maybe he thought his mom was the oracle of truth or something..

[mathcart]

A lot of interesting things have been said here:

That's the problem, there is no one to "blame" really, but it still makes you question some things.

Yeah- I'm not sure what good "blame" does here. In fact I think the rush to find something to blame takes away the focus on this (and other similar) extreme acts of violence and why they happen so "frequently" in this country (I don't think they are frequent or even likely actually- but the fact they happen at all is maybe a little telling about the kinds of monsters we can produce)
And here starteth the blame game...


This is fucked up, who is to blame? The video game makers? the parents? or the kid?

This made me think the same thing- to immediately discounting the bullshit "its the video games again" argument (see above post). although I will concede that as far as it is useful to saw that events like this are symptomatic of an extremely violent culture. However mass media are offshoots of that and not the root. Getting rid of violent video games would of in no way stopped this tragedy.


pure speculation here, but the kid might be an alienated sociopath, and may have had a strict religious upbringing. and why would a christian minister own a gun in the first place. anyways i think there is something wrong with this family

At the very least I think its fair to say these are the actions of an extremely disturbed person. Is there some sort of mental issues as well (did ms p suggest autism- although I'm unaware of any violent tendencies in the autistic population- but i certainly have not studied it)

As for the father being a minster- my own prejudices about the inherent hatred and intolerance that all religions seem to breed prevents me from really stating my opinion.


Yeah blame the video games. Don't even think about blaming the guns. :rolleyes:

Why the fuck do the parents have a gun in their house. I think if they want to live with guns under their pillows they are not to pity for having a disturbed kid or being killed!

I actually have a hard time with this too. Its the fault of responsible gun owners (the weapon was locked in a safe- not under a pillow). Again this is a 17 year old were talking about- old enough to be resourceful and for all intents and purposes an adult.
Yes statistics show that owning guns only increases the chances that you will be the victim of a violent crime with a gun, BUT, again this seems to be getting off track. Just having access to a gun does not a murderer make- in fact with the stunning available arsenal in this country you'd expect much more of this.
If you want to talk about the violence of this society fine, but it seems a little off point to say this happened because there was a gun in the house. Do you think someone who is capable of shooting there parents in cold blood is also not capable of stabbing them, burning down there house, or any million other possible ways a truly deranged mind could come up with to harm them. I need to say bullshit again.



No, his motive was to have his own way and not accept his parents' rules. It happened to be over a game, but it could have been anything else he was preoccupied with.

Yeah, ultimately I tend to agree. This kid went way off the tracks somewhere and it wasn't a month long HALO session that did it. I don't know what did but in the words of one of the leading culture czars of the day "whatever happened to crazy? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrjVJjoXykw)"

[Lex Diamonds]

kid: "Sorry for killing mom and trying to kill you, and attempting to make it look like you did it, all for a video game."

dad: "It's k."
Straight up, man. If my kid shot me and my wife I'd be rolling up on that bitch with a Magnum. I'm talking about revenge, Dirty Harry style, with knee-capping and shit. Fuck forgiveness.

[Lex Diamonds]

Oh I agree of the desensitization and demoralizing influence of these type of games...no doubt about it

Last New Years 2007/2008 my girlfriend's brother the over-addicted gamer was displeased with the fact that there was no terrorist attack in Times Square.

He may end up my brother-in-law, but I think I'll keep my distance.
So you think this dude could go off and shoot his family? Have you told your girlfriend that? If not you're basically to blame if he goes mental and caps them all.

[kaiser soze]

No I wouldn't be, suspicion alone does not prove guilt, nor does being suspicious of something mean you are complicit in a crime.

Are you a fucking idiot or do you pretend to be one?

[Lex Diamonds]

If you're gonna stand by and let this guy kill innocent people then PM me the address and I'll go and sort him out myself. Somebody's got to do something, and you're obviously too pussy.

[kaiser soze]

:rolleyes:

This kid is not killing anyone (as you have stated in the present tense)

Yes he has an addiction to violent video gaming and definitely has social short- comings. I'm not fond of his lifestyle nor the way his family has approached his "treatment", it is the way he views the world I don't agree with nor do I want my son exposed to it. He may be a threat but that is not for me to decide considering I do not reside under the same roof as he.

I will keep my distance and will not act as a vigilante but you are welcome to put a cape and under-roos on and "cap" whatever ass you'd like homie.

[Lex Diamonds]

Hey, whatever helps you sleep at night. But as far as I'm concerned, you may as well pull that trigger yourself.

[kaiser soze]

ok

[Documad]

Her husband, Mark Petric, a minister at New Life Assembly of God in Wellington
I'll bet this had more to do with his motive than the videogame. Add the family's handgun and you have the classic recipe for parental murder.

Years ago we had a teenage boy who took an axe to his mom, dad, and at least one brother. The first news accounts blamed the music of U2. Dad was a religious guy and a real taskmaster who didn't like the rock music. Further investigation revealed a fairly fucked up family situation.

I'm fairly worried about teenagers playing video games because excessive game playing takes them away from studying for school and from having real life social interactions. I'm glad I didn't have access when I was in school because I love the videogames myself and I doubt that I would have had the self control to put them down and do my homework.

But this blaming of videogames for bad kids is nothing new. We used to hear about how bad porn is. And before that we used to hear about how bad TV is. Actually anything in excess is bad for you, and especially bad for kids.

But excessive religion is the most likely cause of attempted patricide. I'm not judging this case where I have no facts -- I'm just playing the odds.

[Documad]

Oh, and what a load of bullshit that he didn't understand that his mom would die when he shot her with a gun. Criminal insanity is nearly impossible to prove and he's 17.

[kaiser soze]

But excessive religion is the most likely cause of attempted patricide. I'm not judging this case where I have no facts -- I'm just playing the odds.

How the hell did many of our great-grandparents and grandparents survive? Religion was a much greater part of their society (on many negative levels) than now.

Religion in conflict with the culture of gaming may be a bigger cause than religion alone. Think of all the defamation that occurs between gamers, people take it seriously when they are fragged....especially by an internet "arch nemisis". Mis-projected anger/vengeance maybe?

[Nygel]

i didn't read all the posts, infact, just the one above me, one in the middle, and the first one.
I think this is ridiculous, first of all the father forgave his son for killing his wife. maybe its different cuz i dont have a child, but if ANYONE shot the woman i love i would never forgive them. f that shit. also, fucking dumbass socially retarded kids are retarded social dumbasses, this isnt the video games fault. but that will be the main point of the article. oddly enough, i usually hear about video games doing this, but its for games that ARE crazy, not some shitty fucking microsoft game. i think i'm just ranting. regardless i've clocked more than 1 cagillion fucking hours on the GTA series and I've never even held a gun (loaded, or real i think) and don't have plans on ever shooting one really. again, just ranting, but this kid is fucked up. i think thats as far as the story should go.

[Documad]

There was even more violence within families in our country's past. It used to be that a man could do anything he wanted to his wife and kids and no one would interfere.

The prevalence of home handguns makes it easier for kids to lash out without thinking it through. But lots of kids took an axe or a board to a parent pre handguns.

Another factor is that any kind of unusual story anywhere in the world is now broadcast 24/7 via tabloid cable news. What do I care if a mom kills her daughter in Florida? That wouldn't have made my newspaper or news cast 20 years ago. We're always hearing about missing kids and guys who killed their wives but that doesn't mean it's more prevalent now. I'm fucking sick of it. We even hear if a woman kills her husband in South Korea because he was spending more time playing videogames than hanging out with her. :rolleyes:

[Nygel]

haha, i was just talking abotu the case down here right now, the ...caylee anthony i think, i was like 'thats fucked up but shes a dumbass, she went to nightclubs the night after, shes clearly fucked up, i dont care"

[yeahwho]

This kid is guilty as all fucking get out and they should throw the fucking key away as far as I'm concerned.

That doesn't mean as a society you try and wrap up the verdict and say he was just a bad seed. I think the trigger was pulled long before he found Halo... but the ammunition was in the game. It would be an improper examination to say Halo didn't play some part in his decision making skills on his Mothers last day of life. It would be a denial of facts.

Playing the game had something to do with this murder. Sure this kid is crazy as batshit and it sounds as if there was a repressive stance by his father, with the obvious religious overtones a minister is bound to spout all day everyday.

But at the heart of this fucked up kids problem lies an obsession, a way out and an escape that is so strong, he finally decides "Fuck It" it's more important to his life than everything else. It is his number 1 priority in life. I've seen this shit and how it works, I've seen how what may be ridiculous to others, perfectly normal to an addict.

I'm not saying the game is the end all, I'm saying this kids symptoms manifested themselves through a violent video game, that yes they very well could of manifested themselves through any other form besides that game.... but for him the game had become his #1 priority in life. The dirty little secret parents and their kids haven't quite faced yet is that technology has a very addictive quality to it. IM's Texting, Blogs, this board and especially the gaming.


One of Petric's friends, 17-year-old Jonathan Johnson, testified that Petric was so obsessed with the Halo series of games that he would play them seven or eight hours a day at Johnson's house.

In Halo, players shoot alien monsters that have taken over the Earth and is rated M for mature players.

One marathon weekend -- about a week before the shooting on Oct. 20, 2007 -- they played Halo for 16 to 18 hours a day, stopping only to eat, sleep and use the bathroom, Johnson said. Petric's father had kicked him out of the house after a fight and Petric crashed with Johnson's family. (http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/trial_of_boy_accused_of_killin.html)

[Nygel]

I don't feel Halo progressed this, i find the physical game and his desire to get it is what this is. idk, maybe its hard for me to think this mega unrealistic game where you have shitty fuckin lasers and shooting creatures while wearing gay space suits would make someone kill someone. has halo been a factor to any other murder? idk, i would look that up, except i dont care, this kids fucked up. I wish it was like Mario Kart or Madden. then I want to see how people react. when you don't shoot someone on a tv screen.

[b i o n i c]

something tells me that if the kid has spent hours playing mario kart or zelda he would've just stolen a car or tried killing his parents be throwing giant mushrooms at them

[beastieangel01]

it's a very simple issue.

PARENTING.

I don't see anything wrong with kids playing the games but there are a few variants to keep in mind:

- Their age. Are they old enough to grasp concepts of what's real and what isn't? Telling a 5 year old right and wrong is all well and good, but telling them that then letting them play a violent video game doesn't work. Their development hasn't reached the point to where it should be okay to let them play such a game (I know the kid was 17 but I am mentioning this as a "in general" thing).

- PARENTING. Parents need to step up and talk with their kids. They need to monitor what they are doing and what they are playing/watching. Sitting them down to discuss real world implications of such games is crucial. Just because it's okay in a video game or works a certain way in a video game doesn't mean it applies to real life.

- Common sense. If your child has signs of mental instability they SHOULD NOT BE PLAYING VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES. PERIOD.

It really sounds like this kid has some mental instability in the first place. Especially considering how he reacted to getting the game taken away from him. Video games aren't to blame. Parents are.

[ms.peachy]

it's a very simple issue.

PARENTING.

I don't see anything wrong with kids playing the games but there are a few variants to keep in mind:

- Their age. Are they old enough to grasp concepts of what's real and what isn't? Telling a 5 year old right and wrong is all well and good, but telling them that then letting them play a violent video game doesn't work. Their development hasn't reached the point to where it should be okay to let them play such a game (I know the kid was 17 but I am mentioning this as a "in general" thing).

- PARENTING. Parents need to step up and talk with their kids. They need to monitor what they are doing and what they are playing/watching. Sitting them down to discuss real world implications of such games is crucial. Just because it's okay in a video game or works a certain way in a video game doesn't mean it applies to real life.

- Common sense. If your child has signs of mental instability they SHOULD NOT BE PLAYING VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES. PERIOD.

It really sounds like this kid has some mental instability in the first place. Especially considering how he reacted to getting the game taken away from him. Video games aren't to blame. Parents are.

LOL yes, in the history of the world it has never happened that parents did everything right, still ended up with a kid who goes off the rails.

Here's the deal: parenting doesn't come with a manual. Well, actually it comes with about 500000 of them if you look in the right section of the bookstore - but they have conflicting advice, recommendations change over time, government guidelines are revised, child psychologists come out with new theories, etc etc. So what happens is: you read a couple of books, you get advice from other parents, you try to work out what makes sense to you, and then you wing it. And you do your best. And you hope it's good enough.

Yes of course, parents need to keep open lines of communication with their kids, and to be aware of what is going on in their lives. But the great question that every parent of a teenager agonises over to no end is, how much 'monitoring' is too much? Go have a look on some parenting message boards and you will see this topic debated amongst parents infinitely. And guess what - there is never any single, right conclusion! Because you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. If you spy on them and watch their every move, you are 'helicoptering' and not allowing them to grow into independent adults. If you are laid back and give them freedom to do their own thing, you are being negligent and effectively condoning any manner of potentially dangerous behavior. Oh but the answer is obvious, isn't it? You have to have a balance between the two! Well if anyone here has the answer to what exactly that balance should be, I implore you, write a parenting book for the parents of teenagers, because I assure you, they are quite eager to know. Also if you have any tips on how parents can distinguish with certainty the difference between "sign of mental instability" and "normal teenage behavior", they'd probably appreciate that too.

[DandyFop]

They DID take the game away from him, so they were obviously realizing the effect it was having on him. Do you think they ever expected when they bought it that he would become so obsessed with it? Obviously they should have limited his time playing it but that can be difficult (especially if he's over at friends houses playing).

[abcdefz]

I'm kinda surprised a minister had a gun in the house.

When my brother's baby was old enough to start crawling around, he got rid of his gun. That makes sense to me.

[beastieangel01]

perhaps I should have noted that I know what I said is slightly generalizing. Just because parents are on top of things doesn't mean that shit like this will never happen. It will and that's the way of the world with just about everything.

But I still stand by what I said and think it would help improve things, definitely.

'Monitoring' isn't a bad thing. Perhaps a better choice of words is involvement. Taking an interest in what your (this is a general "you") child is doing. So they want this game and ask you for it. Find out what it is, ask about it. You don't have to be a snooping overbearing drill sergeant. Again, the better word is involvement.

Of course, I'm not a parent. So maybe people will consider my opinion invalid on the matter. But I do play video games, I have since a young age. I've played violent video games as a teen too. I know many others that have as well. We are all non-violent despite playing games with guns, bombs and death. The common theme between us all was parent involvement.

[ms.peachy]

Of course, I'm not a parent. So maybe people will consider my opinion invalid on the matter. But I do play video games, I have since a young age. I've played violent video games as a teen too. I know many others that have as well. We are all non-violent despite playing games with guns, bombs and death. The common theme between us all was parent involvement.

It's valid to have an opinion, but you should realise that almost every opinion you have about parenting will be challenged when you actually become one. Not necessarily changed - although I'd wager, some will - but definitely challenged.

I am curious though what exactly in this story leads you to conclude that these were not 'involved' parents. Maybe they did review this game before giving to their son, and thought he could handle it; when it became apparent to them that he couldn't, they took it away. How would any of us know?

[beastieangel01]

I am curious though what exactly in this story leads you to conclude that these were not 'involved' parents.

nothing did. I was more responding to others responses about how they would treat video games in their child's lives.

also:

Just because parents are on top of things doesn't mean that shit like this will never happen. It will (which is unfortunate) and that's the way of the world with just about everything.
...
(but I) think it would help improve things, definitely.

[ms.peachy]

nothing did. I was more responding to others responses about how they would treat video games in their child's lives.


Fair enough. It was difficult to tell that from your first post, as it seemed (to me, at least) you were saying that this case was a 'simple issue of parenting', because nothing else was quoted, IYSWIM.

[kaiser soze]

something tells me that if the kid has spent hours playing mario kart or zelda he would've just stolen a car or tried killing his parents be throwing giant mushrooms at them

Exactly. I highly doubt this kid would have killed his parents if the game wasn't confiscated. And yes a gun in a minister's house seems unlikely but no improbable, how did this kid find the key to the safe?

No trigger lock? Ammo stored with gun?

I believe the father "forgave" the kid because of the level of gun owner irresponsibility on his part.

[ms.peachy]

Exactly. I highly doubt this kid would have killed his parents if the game wasn't confiscated. And yes a gun in a minister's house seems unlikely but no improbable, how did this kid find the key to the safe?

No trigger lock? Ammo stored with gun?

I believe the father "forgave" the kid because of the level of gun owner irresponsibility on his part.

How do you know these things? How do you know the ammo was stored with the gun? How do you know there was no trigger lock? And why wouldn't the kid know where the key is? We're not talking about an 8 year old here who found a carelessly stored gun; we're talking about a 17 year old who planned this for weeks.

[kaiser soze]

I guess you didn't see my question marks which usually mean a question which usually means the person asking doesn't know.

I don't know, why would those details be left out of the report?

[ms.peachy]

I guess you didn't see my question marks which usually mean a question which usually means the person asking doesn't know.

So you're saying, you believe the father forgave the son because he felt guilty about being so irresponsible with his gun, but you don't actually know that he was, so you just believe that anyway because why not, what point would suspending judgment until you do actually know the facts serve, anyway. Gotcha.

I don't know, why would those details be left out of the report?

Why would they be in the basic report? It's not an in-depth analysis of the crime. There are loads of details that aren't in there. Feel free to make up your own, though.

[Adam]

I don't know, why would those details be left out of the report?

cus it was just a normal murder - nothing else but what happens far too often already unfortunately.

The only reason its a story beyond that is because some1 want to put into the public a anti-video game debate

and at least here we got one :)

[kaiser soze]

So you're saying, you believe the father forgave the son because he felt guilty about being so irresponsible with his gun, but you don't actually know that he was, so you just believe that anyway because why not, what point would suspending judgment until you do actually know the facts serve, anyway. Gotcha.



Why would they be in the basic report? It's not an in-depth analysis of the crime. There are loads of details that aren't in there. Feel free to make up your own, though.

What is wrong with believing? I didn't say I KNOW the father forgave his son for this or that. I do believe that gun owners need to be exceptionally prepared for curious teenage children and have all safety implements in place. Especially in a case like this where most speculate the child has some sort of psychological problems (including video game addiction).

I believe proper reporting would include every detail especially when dealing with a murder of this kind. We have seen time and time again children shooting their friends because of poor gun ownership by the parents and many times we hear experts stating that trigger locks could have stopped it.

Now we "know" this kid conspired to murder weeks before, at what point did he say to himself "hmph I'm going to kill mom and dad." Was it prior to the game being confiscated or when he realized he wasn't getting the game back any time soon. Did the father fail to report any other circumstances (heavy handed religion, grounding, abuse), does anyone "believe" that the kid was framed and falsely blamed for murder over a video game?

Even though that is the only other thing he grabbed at the time of the murder.

[ms.peachy]

I give up. I believe you're a bit mental.

[kaiser soze]

As long as you don't know ;)

[Lyman Zerga]

kill her!

[Audio.]

it's a very simple issue.

PARENTING.

I don't see anything wrong with kids playing the games but there are a few variants to keep in mind:

- Their age. Are they old enough to grasp concepts of what's real and what isn't? Telling a 5 year old right and wrong is all well and good, but telling them that then letting them play a violent video game doesn't work. Their development hasn't reached the point to where it should be okay to let them play such a game (I know the kid was 17 but I am mentioning this as a "in general" thing).

- PARENTING. Parents need to step up and talk with their kids. They need to monitor what they are doing and what they are playing/watching. Sitting them down to discuss real world implications of such games is crucial. Just because it's okay in a video game or works a certain way in a video game doesn't mean it applies to real life.

- Common sense. If your child has signs of mental instability they SHOULD NOT BE PLAYING VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES. PERIOD.

It really sounds like this kid has some mental instability in the first place. Especially considering how he reacted to getting the game taken away from him. Video games aren't to blame. Parents are.

lol this made me laugh so hard because its TRUE :D

[yeahwho]

I used to come home high everyday from age 14 until 18... not once a week, not every other day.... everyday. Different substances, mainly herb and booze though. In ninth grade I hid cheap wine in shrubs all over the neighborhood along with cigarettes I obtained from various supermarket heists. Once and only once did they actually surmise I was ripped, this was after a high school basketball game and I mixed in some sleeping pills that made it impossible to speak english (though I do remembering understanding what I was saying, it just kept coming out like jlhdsgfuiggfmmmm rrrr uhhh.

Sometimes parents are in denial or just oblivious, sometimes kids are extremely well trained in knowing the key phrases to keep mom and dad off their backs. I belonged to every activity available to keep me out of the house, I either corrupted fellow students and friends or went it alone. It's cunning, baffling and powerful, addiction is. It works on multiple levels and I had crossed the line early on from simple binge to chronic.

The blame game only goes so far and even though his parents were clueless to some degree about his real demons, they were trying to make a point about his behavior by locking up the game. They did what millions of parents do, they took away the problem and said, "No More" not while your living in this house.

* This is no bullshit, the guy I was working with last nite has a 17 year old son that is failing high school directly linked to video games. He locked up his kids games in the same cabinet he keeps his guns and other assorted weapons. I told him about this story and said google it up, check it out. His kid has a Halo bumper sticker on his car... theres more, I haven't worked with this guy for the past 5 years, but it just about blew us both away that I ended up knowing about this story (he didn't) and that the same circumstance is happening in his life. I doubt anything as screwy as the story we're talking about here is going to happen, but this is not an isolated instance or just some blip on the radar.

Other less crazy things are happening with regular kids because of the addictive nature of video games. You may not have an addictive predisposition in your DNA, but a percentage of our population does and they are at every age level. Just under surface lies the addiction, until a catalyst wakes it up.

[mathcart]

LOL yes, in the history of the world it has never happened that parents did everything right, still ended up with a kid who goes off the rails.

Fantastic point. As I said earlier- this isn't about blaming the right trigger (the game, heavy metal, Elvis, Twinkies) or the right people (the parents or even to some degree the kid).
I dunno- I'm certainly no expert but doesn't this story just serve to underline the fact that mental health is THE single biggest health crises of our times (fuck obesity) and the total lack of available care for people in need is criminal.
If this kid is in counseling does this happen? If the whole family is getting help does a dynamic exist where a child could conceive of murdering his parents? And if it does wouldn't he be institutionalized where whatever the problems with that care or that system at least he is significantly less of a danger to himself and others.
I do think that both the lack of understanding for and access to care of mental illness is the ugly truth underlying this tragedy.
One mans opinion



Here's the deal: parenting doesn't come with a manual. Well, actually it comes with about 500000 of them

from the information given about the father it would seem that they were just using the "good" one

[mathcart]

That was intense YW
right on the money too


I used to come home high everyday from age 14 until 18... not once a week, not every other day.... everyday. Different substances, mainly herb and booze though. In ninth grade I hid cheap wine in shrubs all over the neighborhood along with cigarettes I obtained from various supermarket heists. Once and only once did they actually surmise I was ripped, this was after a high school basketball game and I mixed in some sleeping pills that made it impossible to speak english (though I do remembering understanding what I was saying, it just kept coming out like jlhdsgfuiggfmmmm rrrr uhhh.

Sometimes parents are in denial or just oblivious, sometimes kids are extremely well trained in knowing the key phrases to keep mom and dad off their backs. I belonged to every activity available to keep me out of the house, I either corrupted fellow students and friends or went it alone. It's cunning, baffling and powerful, addiction is. It works on multiple levels and I had crossed the line early on from simple binge to chronic.

The blame game only goes so far and even though his parents were clueless to some degree about his real demons, they were trying to make a point about his behavior by locking up the game. They did what millions of parents do, they took away the problem and said, "No More" not while your living in this house.

* This is no bullshit, the guy I was working with last nite has a 17 year old son that is failing high school directly linked to video games. He locked up his kids games in the same cabinet he keeps his guns and other assorted weapons. I told him about this story and said google it up, check it out. His kid has a Halo bumper sticker on his car... theres more, I haven't worked with this guy for the past 5 years, but it just about blew us both away that I ended up knowing about this story (he didn't) and that the same circumstance is happening in his life. I doubt anything as screwy as the story we're talking about here is going to happen, but this is not an isolated instance or just some blip on the radar.

Other less crazy things are happening with regular kids because of the addictive nature of video games. You may not have an addictive predisposition in your DNA, but a percentage of our population does and they are at every age level. Just under surface lies the addiction, until a catalyst wakes it up.

[Documad]

Other reports indicate that he was home schooled until his sophomore year of high school and that he spent the last year back at home because he was recovering from some kind of snowboarding injury. He was known for being able to memorize and recite enormous amounts of bible verse and won contests doing so. He played Halo at friends' houses because his parents didn't let him have video games at home. Someone testified that a week or so before the shootings he played Halo 3 for over 12 hours at a friend's house. Who knows what the true facts are -- we just have an occasional comment here and there from a family friend and the testimony of his family at trial.

Who knows, maybe there was something seriously wrong with him that had to do with his genetic makeup. But perhaps he would have been better off going to public school from the get go and being exposed to a wider variety of influences. Maybe he would have learned moderation if he had a chance to sample what the secular world has to offer instead of memorizing bible verse at home. I'm only half seriously blaming his religious upbringing. I won a statewide championship for reciting a bible story and I didn't kill my parents.

It's a real shame if this story gets used by the media to support some kind of argument against videogames. The news reports say that he put on almost no defense at trial. It looks like he didn't testify because no news account mentions his testimony. It looks like his sister and father probably tried to help him avoid prison time by blaming his conduct on videogames. But they didn't have an expert witness. They had no hope of prevailing without an expert. So no doctor said that his time playing videogames influenced his actions. His story looks like a big pile of bullshit to me. And the more you read about the way he planned it and hid it the more ridiculous the story is--he clearly knew that when he shot his mom and dad they were likely to die. And then right after the shooting, while his dad was still alive, he wouldn't let his sister into the house and told her to go away. Standard murderer actions.

[Adam]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/15/game-theory is article that came up today which kind relates.