7 Real Deaths Linked To Video Games
We've shown you some fairly crazy things associated with video gaming and the culture behind it
before - but just like with any subject, things can (and do) get extreme PRETTY quickly.
Although video games have become something of an unofficial global past-time, this otherwise
fun escape from reality has often led to some haphazardly disastrous situations with very
real results.
From the irresponsible - to the heinous - to the downright violent - today, let's take
a look at seven actual deaths caused by video games.
Number seven - Death of an actual child - via a virtual child.
An unnamed South Korean couple gave birth to an infant prematurely in 2010, which is
bad in and of itself - but with the extra downfall of it being a social taboo in their
native homeland.
The couple - both residents of a suburb in Seoul - was said to have "[...] lost their
will to live a normal life, because they didn't have jobs and gave birth to a premature baby."
After being shunned by society, the couple immersed themselves in a neighborhood internet
cafe playing a virtual baby-raising game - reportedly only feeding their REAL daughter just once
a day, often neglecting her for over 12-hour stretches at a time.
Sadly eventually passing away from prolonged malnutrition, the young baby was the depressing
consequence of a debilitating online game addiction.
Number six - The Petric / Halo 3 incident.
Seventeen year old Daniel Petric, an Ohio resident, had become obsessed with the online
multi-player game, Halo 3.
After his parents took away the copy of his game, the teen stole his father's keys - opened
a lockbox containing both the game and the family 9mm handgun and proceeded to do the
worst.
Entering his parent's bedroom he said, quote, "Would you close your eyes?
I have a surprise for you.", firing the weapon at the heads of both his mother and father.
Critically injuring his father Mark and killing his mother Susan upon impact, Daniel proceeded
to take the game with him as he fled the scene.
Courtroom evidence suggests he had been planning the attack for weeks - eventually being found
guilty of aggravated murder, attempted murder and a host of other charges.
Number five - The Grand Theft Auto-inspired crime spree.
The massively popular open world, crime encouraging game Grand Theft Auto ran its creators (Rockstar)
into legal troubles once again - this time as the center of a civil lawsuit.
Eighteen year old Devin Moore, an extremely avid fan of the game series located in Fayette,
Alabama - murdered three men in cold blood - including Ace Mealer (a 911 dispatcher),
James Crump and Arnold Strickland (two police officers) on June 7, 2003 - when Moore was
brought in on suspicion of car theft.
Although he had no prior criminal history and was initially cooperative, Moore snapped
while inside the station - grabbing the first officer's gun and administering several fatal
head shots before fleeing in a stolen cop car.
His decision to enact brutal violence as he had seen in the game was indeed darkly inspired.
Number four - Death by Halo-caused blood clot.
A twenty year old Xbox enthusiast named Chris Staniforth of Sheffield, England had a much
less violent and / or depressing death than some of the others on this list, but it remains
a scary reminder of the physical toll gaming can put upon a body.
Reportedly indulging in routine twelve hour sessions at a time, the Halo gamer collapsed
shortly after he mentioned to a friend he was experiencing chest pains.
According to his father, "[...] he dropped a packet of chewing gum and as he picked it
up, he jolted back and began to spasm."
The coroner later revealed Staniforth's death was caused by a clot in the young man's calf
that travelled to his lungs - killing him almost instantaneously.
Also known as deep vein thrombosis, this dangerous condition reminds us all to just - you know,
stretch a bit.
Number three - The Wii Water death.
Sacramento based KDND FM's "Morning Rave" held an on-air radio contest entitled "Hold
Your Wee For a Wii" in 2007, encouraging about 20 contestants to see how much water they
could drink before going to the bathroom - with a brand new Wii awaiting the winner.
The participants were given two minutes to consume an eight ounce bottle of water every
ten minutes.
One contestant, Jennifer Lea Strange - a 28 year old woman competing in the contest hoping
to win the console for her two sons and daughter - reportedly consumed up to two gallons of
water in an extremely short time period.
After leaving the contest, she called in sick to work and was found dead in her home just
five hours later from water intoxication.
Facing backlash, the station was subsequently fined over $16 million dollars.
Number two - The Xbox Filicide.
Warning - although this entry isn't QUITE our topmost, this may be the most disturbing
of them all.
28 year old Tyrone Spellman, a notoriously violent and temperamental individual and extreme
Xbox enthusiast was playing Ghost Recon when his infant daughter Alayiah began playing
with the cords on the console - knocking it over and accidentally breaking the unit.
Sending the man into a rage - he began to pummel the young girl in the head, cracking
her skull and throwing her across the room (according to reports).
Spellman fled the scene while the mother was sleeping in a nearby room.
Although he initially claimed the child had fallen off the bed, he confessed to his horrific
actions and was convicted of third-degree murder, child endangerment and faces up to
47 years in prison.
Number one - The Mir III Stabbings
Chinese gamer Qiu Chengwei lent his fellow friend Zhu Caoyuan a virtual "dragon sabre"
sword in-game on Legends of Mir III in 2004.
Instead of actually USING the virtual item however, Caoyuan turned around and sold the
digital item in an online auction house for 7,200 yuan.
Chengwei, now furious, approached police and attempted to file a stolen property report
- naturally being declined since the item didn't physically exist.
Taking a perceived sense of justice into his own hands, he tracked his profiteering pal
down and proceeded to sink a knife deep into his heart, killing him in an ironic fashion.
Now awaiting death behind bars in a Chinese prison, Chengwei serves as a grim reminder
of how everything - absolutely everything - needs to come in moderation.
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