Boy Shoots Grandmother

[KSI Jezrien 7 31]

Last Thursday, an eight-year-old from Slaughter, Louisiana shot his grandmother in the head, killing her. A few minutes before, he was playing Grand Theft Auto IV. Go ahead, guess what the media is focusing on. CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and various other media outlets are pointing the finger at violent video games. Perhaps a better question would be “where was the supervision?†Regardless of whether the game played any part in this event, last time I checked, GTA IV was rated M for Mature. Furthermore, what was a loaded gun doing within a child’s reach? How many incidents of children finding guns and shooting themselves or someone else have to happen before people learn? Chances are a child that plays games like GTA and then stumbles upon a gun, doesn't realize that it’s not a game anymore. The boy will not be charged since he is under the age of ten, and is under the care of his parents again. The gun belonged to his grandmother, Marie Smothers, who was looking after the boy. While it’s debatable that video games had anything to do with the boy’s actions, there’s no conclusive evidence. However, it is undeniable that the shooting wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been able to access the gun. So, what do you think? Are video games to blame?

[Sungazer's Wife 6]

"Chances are[,] a child that plays games like GTA and then stumbles upon a gun, doesn't realize that it’s not a game anymore."

 

Have you thought of including studies that disprove violent video games causes people to become violent? I did an article over this, it's somewhere in the news room, Badfur and our old editor Twahl did not know what to do with it, so... It just sat there. You can scavenge it if you'd like.

 Also, maybe including in a hyperlink and hidden with the clickable names of the news stations (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC) to direct readers to the articles you're talking about?
 

[KSI Jezrien 7 31]

A couple of weeks ago, an eight-year-old from Slaughter, Louisiana shot his grandmother in the head, killing her. A few minutes before, he was playing Grand Theft Auto IV. Go ahead; guess what the media is focusing on.

CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and various other media outlets are pointing the finger at violent video games. Perhaps a better question would be “where was the supervision?†Regardless of whether the game played any part in this event, last time I checked, GTA IV was rated M for Mature. Furthermore, what was a loaded gun doing within a child’s reach? How many incidents of children finding guns and shooting themselves or someone else have to happen before people learn? Chances are, a child that plays games like GTA and then stumbles upon a gun, doesn't realize that it’s not a game anymore.

 

Moreover, there have been multiple studies published that invalidate claims that video games are the cause. According to one, “researchers found that the playing the video games actually had a very slight calming effect on youths with attention deficit symptoms — and helped to reduce aggressive and bullying behavior.†An article published by the University of Rochester goes on to say that gore in video games only decreases players’ interest and desire to purchase a game.

 

The boy will not be charged since he is under the age of ten, and is under the care of his parents again. The gun belonged to his grandmother, Marie Smothers, who was looking after the boy. While it’s debatable that video games had anything to do with the boy’s actions, there’s no conclusive evidence. However, it is undeniable that the shooting wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been able to access the gun.

So, what do you think? Are video games to blame?

 

 

Sources:

University of Rochester Article

Psych Central Article

Fox News

[Sungazer's Wife 6]

Perfect.
Post it in community news.
Sorry for the late responses. I've been swamped with midterms and final papers on top of having some health issues arise.