Brother Kills Brother in Sad But True Video Game Story
Brother Kills Brother in Sad But True Video Game Story
July 17, 2007
It doesn't get much sadder than this.Philadelphia's 6-ABC has a video report on a 13-year-old boy who stabbed his older brother to death in a dispute over an unspecified video game on Sunday. From the report:
The 13-year-old allegedly stabbed his older brother twice with a steak knife. The blade pierced 16-year-old Anwan Ricks in the heart and lung... Police believe the stabbing occurred during a dispute over a video game that became physical.
Although we don't even know the game being played, there are surely some who will rush to turn this into a video game violence issue. However, Lansdowne Police Chief Daniel Kortan seemed to rule out any game inspiration in the grisly, tragic events:
I don't believe the actual game itself was the cause of it. I don't believe they were acting out in any way or mimicking anything in a video game. I believe it was actual use of the game and whose turn it was.
The Delaware County Daily Times has more, including word that the dispute was over a house rule:
It was a house rule whenever the kids were playing a video game: Lose the match, lose the joystick, according to authorities.
Comments
You perceive a threat. You immediately have two options. Attempt to fight the treat off. Or attempt to run away. Its pretty simple. Its the basis for 90% of the actions that people and animals make. Don't blame the media. Blame God, science, or whoever it was that made us vile, violent creatures that have no other option but to fight for survival.
Okay, I'm being just a little sarcastic. Just a little. Still I can't wait till they tell us that its some E rated game. In all honesty, its probably not, but it would be perfect if it were.
@ Brokenscope
I don't think the actual definition of premeditated murder is quite how you see it. From what I understand, premeditation doesn't take long at all. Just 1 second. Let me put it this way. The two brothers fought. Younger brother saw the knife, and decided to use it. Boom! Premeditation. That's first degree murder! Then again we don't know all the details, but I figure this is the reasoning.
@ Those decrying charging a 13 year old as an adult
That's the justice system for you. Anyone who commits one of the "Seven(?) Deadly Sins" of law is charged as an adult. I know rape and murder are among them. I'm pretty sure armed robbery is, too. I don't feel bad for the kid. He did the crime, now its time to do the time.
I feel terribly sorry for the parents, though. This one act has destroyed their family. I hope they find a way to move on.
@ Father Time
Lmao. Wheel of Scapegoats? That made my day! Is that by chance related to the wheel of morality? I'm not sure where I'm getting that from, but one day the phrase "Wheel of morality. Turn. Turn. Turn. Show us the lesson we should learn." popped into my head. Great, I know I'm remembering that from something... its gonna bug me...
@ Jack Thompson
That is the main concern regarding Video games, not that Games 'make' people do it, but that regular access to violent images makes a child choose to use a violent act first, since they are so often exposed to it. I'll agree to a concern on my own part, certainly dialogue from movies is emulated a lot, often without knowledge of it's context, but then, it can also be argued that many a parent has been caught out because their child also emulates them.
The problem is, there's no real way to answer the question, that is what the whole debate thrives on, in a way. Had the argument taken place over a bike, the story would have raised nothing more than sympathy. After all, one of the most famous Brother kills Brother stories is in the Bible itself, if mindsets bought in by a single outside influence, rather than a conglomeration of them, then it could just as easily be said that the Cain and Abel story subconciously inspired him to do it.
I don't think that violent games and films will 'force' someone to commit a violent act, that's why I'm so strongly against these stupid lawsuits, and I do think that wrapping children up in cotton wool is a dangerous way to raise them. However, I also think that parenting should be playing a more active role, I don't blame parents, I blame the demands they are under. Have you noticed, for example, how people are far keener to suggest the government regulate the distribution of media than suggest any way in which a parent could spend more time with their child, the one way in which we could return to the 'old days' and actually do some good, in my opinon. A lot of children feel like they are a 'distraction' to their own parents, who seem to rarely have the time for them. This is because it is the truth. Divorce rates are soaring, Domestic Violence is still common, and a lot of it can be traced back to the fact that couples simply don't have the time to spend on each other or their child, there is constant stress and precious little quality time.
Personally, I think it's that which needs to change, I'll admit to being an Englishman looking in, but to me it doesn't seem that society needs to ask the Government to regulate it, I live in a society in which that happens, it doesn't help, we have a real problem with stabbings in London at the moment, in my area alone 4 teenagers have died in the last 2 months. It's not the Media, it's the attitude in general that needs to change.
The only blood on anyone's hands is on the person who committed the crime, but I guess you failed that part of the Bar exam regarding personal responsibility.
Then again, the minute you started promoting this in the attempt to make blood money off of it(like you have tried with Paducah, Columbine, Red Lake, Virginia Tech, etc.) is the moment the blood also got on your hands.
Oh, and the good guys are winning and that would be us by a lopsided margin, but I guess you're too blinded by your greed and avarice to see that.
Practice what you preach, Jack: Grow up and get a life.
Yeah! That's right! We need to protect kids from this stuff! I mean, they get so hooked and end up not caring about Human life! Sticking there noses into this stuff for thousands and thousands and thousands of hours! This stuff desensitizes and mentally molests both children and adults alike!
We need to create legislation to protect kids from this stuff! Keep kids away from these obscene materials!
First, we'll ban kids from attending organized religious services! Then we'll demand the building be moved away from places like schools! Then we'll require religious materials to be viewable only by adults! Then...
What?
Oh, my bad! I thought you meant protect kids from religious bigotries and violent materials. The kind of stuff that created Osama Bin Lauden, Fred Phelps, Eric Rudolph, your own church (as noted by your own comments in favor of bigotry and hate, and this guy:
http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2007/07/god_told_me_to_kill_gays.php
I mean, clearly, religious beliefs of bigotry and hate lead to violence and murder. So we need to protect kids from this filth, right? I mean, you DO want to protect kids, don't ya?
(This has been an angry bugger production. See previous post in this article and prior posts on such issues for actual personal stance on the issue.)
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
So the point is that this happens all the time, and it doesn't just happen with video games. It's more of an issue of how long this has happened (Brother doesn't let the younger one have his turn) and anything of the sort. Maybe it was media violence that supported the kid to do the action. Maybe it was the lack of parenting that caused the kid to think he was able to do it. We don't know for sure...
Those who are anti-gaming will be arguing that years of playing video games was the thing that messed this kid up in the first place. They will argue that years of playing video games have screwed with his moral compass and de-sensitised him to violence so much so that he was capable of doing this thing.
It's not enough to simply say that he was messed up and that games aren't to blame. What if a small percentage of individuals are prone to being adversely affected by games and that it is their gaming that has pushed them over the edge. How do we as a gaming community respond to this?
I'm not even sure if I should be shocked over this killing. I mean, how many times have we heard of road rage incidents, where some motorist ends up attacking and (sometimes) killing his fellow man over some minor traffic mishap?
And don't get me started on soccer-related riots...
Tragic indeed, but on a wider scope, not that out of the ordinary.
Calm down, I was being partially facetious with the second controller thing, as I would bet the others were, as well. Saying Jack has blood on his hands is ridiculous, probably them just venting at the inevitable news reporting we're bound to hear in the near future. Take a deep breath and count to ten.
Speaking of which now that they haven't released the name of the game which game will they blame for the salughter well to find out we'll have to play a game of
WHEEL
OF
SCAPEGOATS!
That's right it's the wheel of scapegoats, where we take a humongus wheel full of the most violent games to figure out which one is to blame. Our contestant today is, why look it's our returning champion jack thompson who previously hit counter strike after the virginia tech massacre, how'd that work out for you jack?"
"Not so good his roommate told everyone that he didn't play videogames and no one bought the story."
"Ouch, do you think you will do better this time."
"Of course I will, he's a 12 year old boy and if they weren't playing the game nobody would have been killed."
"What if it turns out to be an E game?"
"I'll just wave my hand in front of the cops and say 'these are not the games you're looking for.'"
"Will that work?"
"Yeah I saw it in a movie."
" Well ok Jack you know what to do."
"Come on grand theft auto, grand theft auto"
"It landed on the mystery game Jack, you know what that means."
"Actually I don't you never explained it to me."
"Every game we put a random violent game under the mystery spot, let's see what it is this time."
"And the mystery game is . . . CLUE! based off the board game."
"My god you're right it all makes perfect, in every game of clue they always simulate a murder, making it a MURDER SIMULATOR, because he couldn't get a turn he acted out what he saw in the game and stabbed his brother with a knife. Then he ran outside and yelled I stabbed my brother with a steak knife in the living room, why because in clue you win the game if you find out who killed him even if it turns out to be you. He thought that since he won the game nothing would happen to him. That's how the clue game CORRUPTED HIS MIND. I even saw the game being marketed to children. Who knows how many people have been stabbed shot strangled and bludgeoned with a lead pipe because of it. I'm going to make sure that Parker brothers goes done in flames like the godless freaks they are."
"Well there you have it they were playing Clue anyone saying anything to the contrary has been bribed, thank you for joining us."
Agreed, accusations that Jack Thomspon in reality has blood in his hands are just as baseless as his accusations that we have it on ours because we dare to disagree with him about the cause.
Jack Thompson could not have prevented it, but, he also could choose not to try to financially profit from it, and that, at the end of the day, is what it has always been about with Thompson. People question whether he is really a 'fired up individual', I don't accept that for a moment, you only have to watch his opinion on Video Games in general from 'We want to stop marketting ALL violent games to braindead kids' to 'I only want to stop Rock Star', and just about every position in between to realise that his opinion is only 'fervent' for as long as the wind blows in that direction.
So no, I don't believe it is a conviction, I believe it is an income and a source of advertising for him.
I can only hope the game they were fighting over turns out to be something like tennis on the Wii, or maybe the recent XBLA release of Pac-Man. Maybe then the older folks will say "hey, I've played tennis and I'm not a killer", or "hey, I used to play Pac-Man and I never hurt anyone because of it".
Nice try, but no cigar. The only person in this debate with blood on their hands is you, and that's from trying to go through the victim's pockets.
There are many things that you can do without actually thinking it through. A quote taken from ABC: "He was standing out there, crying and screaming and yelling and police took him and put in car. The mother was in hysterics. I felt so bad for her," said Margaret Rebstock.
He did it, then thought of it, and realized he majorly screwed up. Same thing with crying. No one wants to cry, but you do it anyway.
As I have said, normal people do really stupid shit sometimes, you don't have to be crazy.
Yes, but what you and other seem to be missing here is that was he able to think his actions through and understand the actions consequences for him and the victim.
I'm sorry, but you can't know his state of mind. You can't know what he was thinking, I am try to err on the side of caution before I condemn him.
Imagine is right. Because only in your sick masturbation fantasies does this happen. Most studies on this point to the opposite. Unless you want to pull out the study again on aggression by the same guy who also stated that the Bible has the same effect as video games. But you conveniently ignored that didn't you you massacre chaser?
You have blood on your hands Jack, by taking advantage of tragedies for your financial and political gain you are as guilty as the people who commit the acts. Pray for the forgiveness of your sins.
On topic: Video games are now ubiquitous. Violence and strange cases are more sensationalized now then ever before. Video games are currently easily scapegoated targets. Did people blame unrequited love for the astronaut would-be-kidnapping? This stuff sucks, and I hope public perception changes, but I'm not holding my breath.
A second controller (as stated above) would have gone a long way, as well as better parenting.
2. @ Brokenscope: I know what you're getting at, but c'mon, how deranged do you have to be to stab your brother over this!? I don't care how pissed he is; but don't take this as I believe he shouldn't get help.
"Violent video games affecting the behavior of minors"
Who says the game they were playing was violent? Who says they weren't playing a sports game, or a driving game? Oh yeah, you say, because it sounds better for your agenda.
As I was reading this thread, I was getting annoyed at the continual mentioning of your name, since you (up until now) have nothing to do with this case AT ALL. But now you've stuck your nose in it anyway. Congratulations, you have a new tragedy that you can exploit for your own gain!
C'mon GP people, he's like Beetlejuice, say his name three times and it summons him to the forum. JT doesn't deserve the attention this site gives him.
On a note related to the story, is first-degree murder the most serious type of murder, or is third-degree?
3rd degree can almost be stated as accidental murder, however there is at times rather blurry line between between 3rd degree murder and manslaughter.
...
Did they even say what game it was? How can anyone say it was violent if they didn't say what game it was.
If you knew Jack shit on the other hand, you would realize that you practice Obscurantism. Note the uppercase, yes there is a difference, I suggest you look it up.
Blood is on the hands of many of you here, because you have done as much as you could to beat down this tragic fact and the results of such obscurantism.
The good guys are winning this culture war battle, and that ain't anybody here at this site, save yours truly.
Jack Thompson
besides I have heard of similar. Sports brawls anyone? people will fight over anything and everything. And we all dont know what happen besides what the news tells us. The action of stabbing the brother could have been from repeated bullying, harassment, and etc. We dont know the history we only know the outcome.
Firstly, turn off the caps lock, secondly,
English, can you read it!?!?
However, Lansdowne Police Chief Daniel Kortan seemed to rule out any game inspiration in the grisly, tragic events:
I don’t believe the actual game itself was the cause of it. I don’t believe they were acting out in any way or mimicking anything in a video game. I believe it was actual use of the game and whose turn it was.
Just in case your not being sarcastic.
Okay when you accidentally kill someone with your car one day, or if you ever do anything that might be construed as negligent I hope they lock you the fuck up. I mean you did that by accident, imagine what you might do if you do it on purpose.
But it is clear.
There has to be intent to kill.
There has to be the conscious understanding that the actions take could kill the person. There has to be time to connect the action with the result. If there had been more than a few moments between the initial scuffle and the actual stabbing there could be argument for 1st degree murder without any other evidence presented. If there had been a time of "calm" before he stabbed him.
Your assuming more towards guilt, I am assuming more towards innocence of the charge, not of the crime.
Please note the wiki article on murder provides a much better definition of 1st degree murder.
@ J-Guy
Your assuming he was thinking "I'm going to stab that fucker right in the heart!"
As I said earlier, he stabbed the largest target presented, the chest.
If you have ever had your blood up, you should know that thinking though an entire course of actions, your actions move towards the instinctual or things you have trained to the point they are almost reflexive presented a situation. When your adrenaline is pumping, your thinking the here and now. You react to stimuli based on previous experience. When your under any kind of extreme duress you not going to plan out something unless you are a very focused person with very tight control over your emotions, you also have to be one hell of a fast thinker to plan something.
Despite what movies tell you, time doesn't slow down it gets a hell of alot faster and you do things without thinking. Half the time you don't remember half the things you did. The memories you have can be amazingly fragmented and incoherent. This is true of a schoolyard fist fight, a fencing bout, a multi car pile up, or a firefight.
It's unfortunate that events like this happen. I admit I've fought with my own brother about who's turn it was on a given game now and again. but never have I pulled a knife on him for it. I sat back and waited. This kid has to have been seriously screwed up to stab his brother once, let alone repeatedly.
Hmm, this statement won't be ignored by others, however, the won't don't will somehow be omitted
I guess this mus be the "sleeper cell" training Ladou... I mean, Larouche talks about endlessly
How can any reasonable jury member or judge charge him as an adult for that? Let alone with 1st degree murder....that alone is, IMO, alot more pressing of an issure than the fact that it was a video game
Oh no, that statement won't be ignored, however, the word "don't" will be conveniently missing.
I mean, maybe with some counseling and professional help, maybe we don't have to screw HIS life over for the rest of his life too.
And I also don't think what he did was 1st degree murder, he's just a child for god's sake, and now he has to live with the fact that he killed his own brother for the rest of his life? Doesn't that seem like almost enough of a punishment?
http://www.lawforkids.org/speakup/view_question.cfm?id=309
I dunno. There may be some evidence we're missing here that they have.
Actually, it depends on the person and circumstances.
http://www.lectlaw.com/def2/m053.htm
I'm not quite a law expert, so I really don't know what the circumstantial requirements are.
I don't want to argue with you, but the kid is 13. If you don't know the heart keeps you alive by 13, you have problems. He seems to have mental issues if he stabs his brother over whose turn it is.
And what is with the news always choosing the worst headlines? Video Game Murder? What about: Sibling Murder; Child Killed By Brother
Yeah. And you know he's not saying, "Oh what a travesty." But rather, "Money!"
I'm sorry but Unless they can prove that the kid had thought or made the statement "I'm going to kill him next time" its not premeditated murder. Premeditated indicates planning, if he had the steak Knife hidden under his shirt for just such an occasion, I could understand 1st degree.
If he had marked several veins or arteries in an anatomy book and made a general attempt at hitting a major artery that might indicate he had planned it. I haven't watched the video but from my understanding of the article, this kid got pissed went and grabbed a knife then stabbed his brother in the easiest part to stab, the chest.
A 13 year old might understand how much damage a knife can do, he might not understand the true effects of the damage, there is a very good chance he has no clue how quickly someone can bleed out and die from a knife wound.
I doubt this was premeditated. This was a crime done in short term anger without a thought for the results. 2nd degree at best. This kid needs hella counseling way more than he needs jail time, not to say that jail time isn't completely appropriate.
He didn't just randomly pull a knife on his brother. The kid is 13 years old, he should know what a steak knife does to a body. Second degree murder is when you murder someone that just "happened to be in the way." You intended to kill that person, but he didn't factor into your plot of murder. But with this kid, he FACTORED in his brother's death with a steak knife to the heart and lung. It was clearly premeditated; his brother was the target.
That's where the justice is. That's why this kid is getting what was coming at him.
There are certain things in this world that make me angrier than any video game ever has.
"I don’t believe the actual game itself was the cause of it."
And yes, despite the police clearly saying this, this statement will be ignored by the anti-video game people.
If I ever raised a fist to my brothers over video games, my mom would take them away from us, take us outside and referee our fight. We ended up learning that fighting didn't get us anywhere but sweaty, tired, and without the thing we originally fought over.
"I’m sure we’ll hear outcries from the usual groups about how the violence that occurred was “learned” from the game"
Yeah, I'm sure JT will be out in force claiming some game or another taught him exactly *where* to stab in order to kill his brother...
"As far as the 1st-degree murder charge, I’m no legal expert, but I would think this is 2nd-degree, seeing as 1st requires premeditation. Also, if he knows what he did was wrong and shows remorse, charging him as an adult is just ridiculous."
1st or 2nd degree statutes vary from state to state. Some only require an especially heinous act to be considered 1st degree, regardless of whether it was premeditated for not. As for the whole being charged as an adult thing, the reason you listed would be exactly *why* he was charged as an adult.
Kids don't have a fully developed moral compass or comprehension of consequences yet. Rather like those who are found "guilty by reason of mental disease or defect", they don't understand that what they did was wrong or were incapable or forseeing the consequences.
If the younger brother *knew* what he was doing was wrong, and felt great remorse that stemmed from knowledge of the consequences of his actions (as opposed to just being a reaction to parental disappointment) then it shows that he knew what he was doing when he stabbed his brother. If he honestly had no concept of what was going to happen though (ie- He thought it would be like a movie or something), then that's different...
1st degree murder? Was it fucking premeditated? Was there even conscious thought of the consequences? Did he stab him repeatedly? Did he proceed to beat the lifeless body? Did he beat him to the ground then kill him? Did he slit his throat then gloat as he died? Was there anykind of planning of the killing?
Where the fuck did all the qualifications go for first degree murder? Isn't there supposed to be a incredibly violent , heinous, cruel or premeditated component to first degree murder?
What the fuck?
I don't care about the games right now as much as I care about where the fuck the justice system went? Where the hell is this DA, where is he/she and what the hell is he/she thinking?
Also, when have any of the massacre chasers ever listened to what the authorities have said? Every single cop and investigator who has discounted the video game angle has been accused of lying, or hiding evidence, or not doing their jobs thoroughly by Thompson et al.
I will laugh if the game they were fighting over turns out to be something rated "E".
On a serious note:
This kid muct have some serious anger management problems. My brother and I are the same age gap (about 3 years) and he has chased me around with a knife before. My parents were there to stop him, and they got him some professional help. Where were the parents on this one? There are always signs of anger control issues.
As far as the 1st-degree murder charge, I'm no legal expert, but I would think this is 2nd-degree, seeing as 1st requires premeditation. Also, if he knows what he did was wrong and shows remorse, charging him as an adult is just ridiculous. If he doesn't, get him some mental help.
This one seems to be a kid who has problems dealing with rule violations as noted at the end of the article.
Either it's a kid who thinks he's above the rules or a kid who thinks "follow the rules as I see them... or else". Hmmmm......
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
Where is the flaw here?
And yes, this is the type of event that Thompson prostitutes himself for.
Poor kid. It's sad to see someone screw their life over so young. Poor other kid. It's REALLY sad to see some lose their life so young.
I bet anything this statement will be completely ignored.
Anyway methinks this has been going along before, I mean if this was the first time the other brother violated the rule then surely the other brother would've done something else first. Oh and if this was really a dispure over turns the younger brother could've simply turned the game station off, but nooooo. I bet he has a few (hundred) screws loose to resort to a steak knife. Almost reminds me of me and my brother only I'm older and I'm the one that would likely get angry. But a steak knife??? I've never met someone more full of wrath. You got to feel bad for the parents, one kid dead, the pther in juvenille hall, and they will likely be blamed for the whole thing, (I'd bet a thousand dollars their parents weren't home when this happened or they would've stopped the older brother).
That kid has some serious anger control issues, and needs therapy, NOW.
@Jack Thompson.
Listen you disgusting little maggot of a man. If there really were evidence for thse "Facts" you claim, there wouldn't be numerous other respectable members of the medical world claiming these studies are garbage.
Your little crusade hasn't moved an inch in years. The so-called "good Guys" have claimed to be winning, but would you look at that? Gaming is still the same as it's ever been. Once the rest of the world catches on to you, they'll move on to some other scapegoat, and you'll be left in the dust. It happened to Dungeons & Dragons, it happened to Rock and Roll, and it will happen now. My estimate is that ten years from now, you're not going to be anything but an insignificant footnote in the history of what is modern gaming.
Fare thee well, Jack "Massacre Chaser" Thompson, you insect. You, your crusade, and all you ever worked for are doomed to a future of obscurity. When your son finally stuffs you into the old folks home, I hope you look back on these days and realized that your entire life was a waste.
AgnostoTheo
Those who keep their eyes on heaven, can never see the world around them.
Authorties seem to steer clear of placing actual blame on the game itself for good reason, because there isn't any blame to be placed. To me it simply appears to be a bout of sibling rivalry gone horribly awry.
@ Jack Thompson
Your comments appear to be incredibly ignorant, as is to be expected. Have a good time praying on the dead, necrovore.
-Auto
A suprisingly blind thing to say. They were fighting over whose turn it was, or some such thing, not pretending that they were playing the game. There is a difference, a BIG difference.
But, in a completely different topic, I still agree that a 13-year-old does not need a mature game. But that isn't really under question here. What I wanna know is what about his upbringing or mental state made the kid completely lacking in self-restraint or judgment?
Logic says the next step would be to see what kind of mental state the 13 year old, was and is in.
Reality says, lets blame it on the video games. JTs appearence already seems to scream that this is the direction its going to go in.
Based on what is probably going to happen(sadly reality wins over logic here), I think that it would be actually in a better if the game was an M-rated one vs something that was rated E. Think about the opposition we're against in this whole "video game culture war". We got guys like JT on their frontlines that will latch onto any minor thing that goes happens. If the game that was being disputed over, you can probably bet one of the opposition is going to say "E Rated games are now Murder Simulators too now" or something like that vs If the game was M-rated, the whole violent game debate goes nowhere
The wheel of morality bit is from animaniacs, i think they ahd it at the end of mostly every show (or at least some of them), although the moral would always be obscure or something that common sense tells us not to do, I can't think of any examples, because it was a while ago.