NEWS - Sunday, February 14, 2010
Potential School Shooting Averted by Xbox Live
According to Canada’s Vancouver Sun, a San Antonio, Texas resident is in custody after a gamer in British Columbia alerted police to discussions the San Antonio resident had about plans for a school shooting during an Xbox Live match.
What game they were playing wasn’t specified, but the Sun’s report says while playing over Xbox Live, one player -- evidently upset about his failing grades -- began talking about his plans to take part in a shooting at his school and mentioned specific targets by name. Another person in this match subsequently alerted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who -- in conjunction with Microsoft’s Law Enforcement Security division-- were able to track the alleged planner’s location to San Antonio, Texas, where he was arrested by local police.
"The suspect indicated he was a senior at his high school, had failing grades, and mentioned names of students he was targeting, along with plans about how the shooting would proceed," said Port Alberni RCMP Staff Sgt. Lee Omilusik (via Kotaku). "In this case, the suspect was quickly arrested and no one was hurt thanks to the information received from a concerned citizen."
The suspect now faces charges, although what those charges are weren’t specified. It’s also still unclear exactly to what extent the suspect was serious about his claims, and how ready (or soon) he was to committing his alleged plan.
Source: http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3177
