Another "Video Games Made Me Do It" Defense
The lawyer for a Canadian teen who shot and killed a friend during a session of Grand Theft Auto has plead guilty to the crime of "Criminal Negligence Causing Death." His lawyer blames GTA.
"The video they'd been playing had similar type of unruly behavior"" said attorney Rod Brecht, who is quoted in The Star-Phoenix. "They were all playing around," Brecht continued. "Everybody was getting along. Nobody realized the gun was loaded."
The incident took placed in February, 2005, when the boy, 13 at the time, was hanging out with some friends, drinking, smoking marijuana and playing GTA. The boys found a shotgun under a bed and took turns passing it around.
According to attorney Brecht, his client held the shotgun in a menacing stance as he had seen GTA characters do. The boy then pointed the gun at 15-year-old Preston Martin and - thinking it was unloaded - pulled the trigger. Martin was killed instantly.
Brecht, who is attempting to secure a probationary sentence for his client, said the boy is haunted by nightmares and flashbacks.
GP: My bad for forgetting to mention that GP reader Indystar tipped us off on this one...