An 8 year old boy intentionally shot and killed his 90 year old elderly relative after playing Grand Theft Auto IV. Police are saying they believe the crime was intentional. Media outlets are jumping on the headlines and making it seem as if video games are to blame. In this commentary, Red Dragon lays out a few other questions that the main-stream media is disregarding.
Louisiana authorities say an 8-year-old boy intentionally shot and killed a 90-year-old woman who was his caregiver after watching a video game with violent themes.
Deputies did not provide a motive, but they said the boy was playing the video game "Grand Theft Auto IV" — a realistic game that's been associated with encouraging violence and awards points to players for killing people — just minutes before the fatal shooting. The game is rated "M" for mature audiences and recommended for ages 17 and older.
Authorities are calling the shooting a homicide.
"From a behavior therapy perspective, I would say that's practicing," Kristopher Kaliebe, a LSU Health Sciences Center child psychologist told Fox8live.com.
"So if you have a video game where someone shoots at a target, that's sort of practicing shooting at a target. When you havea video game that is shooting at a human being, that is practicing shooting at a human being," Kaliebe said.
The child was released to his parents Thursday night.
Louisiana law prohibits authorities from charging the child with a crime because of his age, the sheriff's office said. The law states: "Those who have not reached the age of 10 years are exempt from criminal responsibility.
Read more: Fox News
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