TheTrenchcoat Chronicles

Category: Crime

  • GTA: Grand Theft Assclown IV

    GTA: Grand Theft Assclown IV

    Lawsuit: ‘Grand Theft Auto’ Led Teen to Kill:

    This one actually was in the news last week, but I forgot about until today. More on that later.

    Anyway, our favorite ambulance chaser, not John Edwards, is at it again. “Attorney” Jack Thompson is once again blaming the woes of society on one particular series of video games. He’s filed a lawsuit in Alabama against the game’s manufacturers and two stores that allegedly sold the games to an underage person. The person in question is Devin Moore, who shot two police officers and a dispatcher to death after being brought to the Fayette police station on suspicion of driving a stolen car.

    Of course, the video game series in question is the Grand Theft Auto series…

    The suit alleges Moore purchased “Grand Theft Auto III” at the Gamestop in Jasper and “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” at the Jasper Wal-Mart when he was under 17. The games, which depict police killings and other acts of violence, are rated M, meaning they are appropriate for those 17 or older.

    Named in the suit are Wal-Mart Stores (search) and Gamestop along with Take-Two Interactive Software, the manufacturer of the games, and Sony Computer Entertainment, the maker of the PlayStation 2.

    Why did Thompson file the suit this time?

    At a December hearing, authorities said Devin Moore, when he was apprehended, told officers,”Life is a video game. You’ve got to die sometime.”

    And check out Thompson’s great reasoning for filing the suit…

    “What has happened in Alabama is that four companies participated in the training of Devin … to kill three men,” attorney Jack Thompson told The Tuscaloosa News, which reported the suit’s filing.

    Granted that Walmart and GameStop should not have been selling these games to an underage kid, but why were the parents allowing it into the house?

    My main point is though is that everyone is responsible for their own actions. This assclown Jack Thompson wants you to think that you’re not responsible for anything. These kids that kill who have happened to have played a violent video game are screwed up in the head in the first place. My guess is Jack Thompson is looking for an angle since he missed out on the McDonald’s hot coffee settlement. Either that or he’s just jealous he can’t beat any of the games. Seriously, what is this guy’s problem with video games?

    What made me think of this again was this interview Jack Thompson did with CBSNews.com. I almost posted this under the Tin Foil Hat category because of some of the things he says.

    He calls Entertainment Software Association President Doug Lowenstein, the Joseph Goebbels of the video game industry. He infers that the increase in school violence is caused by video games. Claims he predicted Columbine 8 days before it happened.

    I’ll start you off with a quote from Mr. Thompson from the interview…

    The heads of six major health care organizations testified before Congress that there are “hundreds” of studies that prove the link. All the video game industry has are studies paid for by them, which are geared to find the opposite result. Lawyers call such experts “whores.”

    Pot, I have the kettle holding for you on line 2.

    Read the interview to see what kind of nut job this shyster really is. If it were up to him, we’d blame everything from the war in Iraq to Paris Hilton’s Sidekick being hacked on Grand Theft Auto. This guy really needs to get a life.

    UPDATE: The guys from Penny Arcade have their own take on sue happy attorneys.

    Here’s another take on it from joystiq.com.

  • More on the Mall Shooter

    More on the Mall Shooter

    Mall shooting suspect wanted to die, uncle says:

    The uncle and father of mall shooter Robert Bonelli Jr. dispute that he was obsessed with Columbine…

    “This had nothing to do with skinheads, it had nothing to do with Nazism, it had nothing to do with Columbine,” said the uncle, a Lake Katrine resident. “It had to do with something that they don’t even know about. … It didn’t drive him to go kill somebody. It drove him to have himself killed by law enforcement. …

    They also put out a dangerous opinion…

    Robert Sr. said his son had Columbine-related materials only because he related to the shooters, who also were outcasts.

    “I would not call it a fascination, but it was like a common personality, where they were picked on and ridiculed,”.

    Relating to mass murderers and sharing a common personality is not a good thing. If more of these “fascinations” are allowed to be tolerated or dismissed by family and friends, the more occurrences of these incidents will arise. And maybe next time the outcome won’t be so fortunate.

  • Mutant Rabbit

    Mutant Rabbit

    Police Say Rapper Inspired Shootings:

    This is the first I’ve heard of this, but according to this “source” police found bootleg copies of underground rap artist Dead Rabbit’s hit underground song, “Casa Rebel.”

    According to the “article”, the “song” “Casa Rebel” is a vivid description of a Columbine-like massacre. Who knew that rappers could be mutants? Here’s a description of the alleged “artist”…

    Dead Rabbit’s music often describes violence as a form of protest. From killing preppie students to bombing a popular “yuppie” nightspot in Sacramento, CA, Dead Rabbit promotes the destruction of the “1 percent”; a slang term for the ruling class.

    Well, isn’t that special. No hidden meanings there, I guess. The “artist” also released a statement on his website…

    “While we are saddened that innocent people have been hurt by Bonelli, the reason by the shooting must be fully explored. Whether it was a random action or a political statement must be discovered. If he was truly inspired by our music, then neither his aim nor location (of the shooting) should be in doubt.”

    Saddened. Right. This guy is probably ecstatic that one of his songs was found on a would be killer. Now he’s using this near tragedy to try to further his own “career” and agenda. I wonder if he would have changed his tune if someone had actually died.

    Silly rabbit. Tricks are for kids.

  • More Mall Mutant

    More Mall Mutant

    Just some more news tidbits about Robert Bonelli, the New York State mall shooter.

    According to the Albany Times Union, when Bonelli was questioned by police he said that if he didn’t go to the mall on Sunday he would have gone to a school on Monday. No word on which school he would have gone to.

    The New York Post states that Bonelli dropped out of school at the age of 16. No word on why he dropped out.

    So let’s put the timeline in perspective. He drops out at age 16 for whatever reason, becomes obsessed with Columbine at age 19, then 6 years later, shoots up the local mall.

    It will be interesting if the true motive is ever revealed.

  • More Arrests in Mall Shooting

    More Arrests in Mall Shooting

    More arrests made in connection with mall shooting:

    Police have arrested two more people in connection with the New York State mall shooting. Kenneth Stine and Liborio Valguarnera, both 25, were arrested Monday night for violating federal explosive laws…

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said the two were holding onto an arsenal of weapons, as well as information and videos on how to build pipe bombs. It seems police spotted the two men on a videotape found in Bonelli’s house. All three were seen making and detonating pipe bombs.

    No word yet on whether or not these two are mutants too, but I wouldn’t lay odds against it.

    UPDATE: According to this Newsday article, the ATF found nine long guns, a handgun, ammunition, and a pipe bomb fuse were found at Stine’s house.

  • Mall gunman, mutant

    Mall gunman, mutant

    DA: Suspected mall gunman was fascinated with the Columbine massacre:

    (Log in info) Well, this is an interesting turn of events. It turns out that the gunman who opened fire in the Hudson Valley Mall in New York is, in fact, a mutant.

    Robert Bonelli, 24, wounded two people in the mall, including a National Guard recruiter who may lose his leg. Bonelli faces 25 years. Police found a cache of what they call “Columbine memorabilia” in the house that he shares with his father…

    “We may never know specifically what his intentions were, or what his motivations were,” Williams said. “However, we are deeply disturbed and troubled by the recovery of Columbine memorabilia from his property.”

    It will be interesting to see what motive, if any, comes out of this.

  • Yates conviction overturned

    Yates conviction overturned

    Andrea Yates’ Conviction Overturned:

    I’m not too worried about this. I’m actually looking at it as a positive thing. Why? Because she will be retried, and she will be found guilty again. And hopefully this time the Texas jury will do what they should have done originally and sentence her to death.

    May God have mercy on her soul.

  • GTA: Grand Theft Apprehension

    GTA: Grand Theft Apprehension

    ABC13.com: Robbers scared off by Playstation game get jail time:

    Last March, four would be burglars broke into a house where there were some kids playing GTA at the time. When they heard the police in the game say, “Stop, we have you surrounded. This is the police.”, they thought it was the actual police and fled. The four men were arrested. Two are serving time, one got probation and the fourth is awaiting trial.

    All of you busybodies are wrong about this game. It doesn’t cause violence, it saves lives.

  • The Winner and NEW Champion

    The Winner and NEW Champion

    Camden, N.J., Is Most Dangerous City:

    In your face, Detroit! Go, Camden. Go, Camden.

    Beating out Atlanta, St. Louis, Gary, Indiana, and last year’s champ and everyone’s perennial favorite Detroit, Camden, NJ is the county’s most dangerous city.

    For those of us who have lived anywhere near the area can tell you this is no surprise, and we’ve been saying it for years. How many Mischief Nights (Or Devil’s Night) have we watched Camden in flames? And yet, this is the city that the state decided to put The New Jersey State Aquarium.

    We used to joke that when they built the aquarium, they built it around the fish in the Delaware River. Wouldn’t it make more sense to put the State Aquarium in a beach resort town like Wildwood or Atlantic City, or even the Island Republic of Brigantine? I mean, Brigantine already has the Marine Mammal Stranding Center. Instead, the state decided to put it in a crime-infested cesspool like Camden.

    Since it’s on the river, they call it “The Waterfront” now. Like, the Delaware River off of Camden is something to be romanticized. You can probably walk across it and it may be flammable. They even put the major regional outdoor concert arena on “The Waterfront”. It’s changed corporate sponsorship at least 3 times since it’s been open. Camden’s attempted revitalization is like putting a rose on top of a trash heap. Way to make New Jersey proud.

  • Grand Theft Assclown III

    Grand Theft Assclown III

    US lawyer links video game to murder plot:

    I’ve been telling you lately about the school attack plot that was uncovered in Massachusetts. Well, from out of left field comes Miami ambulance chaser, Jack Thompson. He believes that the video game Grand Theft Auto influenced Tobin Kerns into wanting to shoot up his school.

    This isn’t the first time that Jack Thompson has said this. Last year he sued the makers of GTA because of two idiot teenagers that shot at some cars on a Tennessee highway. Never mind that the parents of all kids involved let them play a game that is obviously meant for more mature audiences. That “M” on the box actually means something.

    Anyway, this is a ludicrous statement at best. In Tennessee, the parents left their guns unlocked. In Mass. the parents didn’t keep a close enough eye on their kid. A video game is not to blame. Personally, it sounds like to me that Jack Thompson either A. can’t beat the game so he’s decided to sue, or B. much like in real life, he can’t figure out how to get the hookers to get into his car with him.

    If any lawsuit against Rockstar Games is ever successful, it’s another deathblow to personal responsibility. And I don’t think it could take anymore.