US lawyer links GTA with US school murder plot

By Games Industry.biz Published 12 October, 2004

Rockstar in the firing line as US lawyer Jack Thompson slams videogames once again.

Florida-based lawyer Jack Thompson has launched his latest attack on the interactive entertainment industry, telling the media that Grand Theft Auto was used by a Massachusetts teenager to prepare for a planned massacre at his high school.

Sixteen year old Tobin Kerns was arrested after police discovered that he planned to kill students and teachers at his school on the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine massacre next April, and then to kill firefighters and police who responded to the emergency calls.

According to Thompson, detectives in the case told him that Grand Theft Auto was one of Kerns' "favourite games," and he has told the media that he believes the boy used the title to prepare for the planned massacre.

"The technique of killing civilians and then first-responders when they get there is the primary scenario to win in all the Grand Theft Auto games," he is quoted as saying in newspaper reports over the weekend, before going on to accuse GTA titles of being "killing simulators actually used by gangs."

Thompson, who styles himself as an expert on cases of alleged videogame violence, has launched repeated attacks on the games industry - including, most recently, claims that he was set to bring Rockstar to court over the murder of Stefan Pakeerah in Leicester, which he linked with the violent game Manhunt.

He has also previously accused Grand Theft Auto of influencing teenagers in Tennessee who shot and killed a driver on a local freeway, and in a move which raised eyebrows even among the usually receptive tabloid press, claimed that the Beltway Sniper, John Allen Muhammad, trained using Bungie's FPS title Halo - despite the fact that Muhammad was a US Army veteran with an expert qualification in rifle use.

However, the outspoken lawyer, who has previously targetted other entertainment industries and politicians with his campaigns, has yet to actually win a case against a videogame publisher - and no credible scientific link has been made between violent videogames and real-life acts of violence.

Picture of Games.

About Games Industry.biz

Read more articles from Games by visiting the Games Industry.biz archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (63) Latest comment 7 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • aabyssx #1 7 years ago

    Parasitic smartass grabber! >:(

    A stupid, psychotic teen guy's problem does not lie in violent videogames!
    ...maybe his parents should look somewhere else.

    Killing simulators?!? This cannot be serious!

  • Zeitgeist #2 7 years ago

    I would love to ask that Yank lawyer this

    "So you think that a video game with cartoon graphics is what set this young boy off? You don't happen to think it might have been the 20 gun shops he passed on the way to school every day which he was legally entitled to go into and have a good look around at REAL guns and REAL ammunition, you don't think that might have had an effect at all?"

  • bionutz #3 7 years ago

    I think he's right because we all learn how to kill people with a gamepad, and the AI is as advanced as the real humans' intelligence. /sets his homing missiles to target stupid lawyers.

  • space_ace #4 7 years ago

    can we read somewhere words from this genius?

  • ruttyboy #5 7 years ago

    Oh FFS, there should be some kind of law against twats like this, never mind video games! The industry should be able to get a restraining order or something preventing him from speaking publically about games, surely it damages the industry and costs people's jobs whether it is a baseless sham or not.

  • HansGr00ber #6 7 years ago

    It's almost as if Rockstar are paying this man to sell their games. First he puts Manhunt back into the charts, now he's causing a load of hype for GTA:SA, which is conveniently out in a couple of weeks. They must love all the free advertising!

  • speedjack #7 7 years ago

    "The technique of killing civilians and then first-responders when they get there is the primary scenario to win in all the Grand Theft Auto games,"

    Erm, no its not.

    Anyway - isn't GTA 18 certified in the US ? If so how did he get a copy ?

    I suppose his parents could have bought it - but then its never the parents fault - is it ?

  • mad_caddy #8 7 years ago

    "The technique of killing civilians and then first-responders when they get there is the primary scenario to win in all the Grand Theft Auto games," - points out he's never played the game!

    and second - it'll do nothing but bump GTA up the charts

    and third - the fact that Manhunt was found in the victims house

    and fourth - "has yet to actually win a case against a videogame publisher" - HA HA HA, excuse my childish laughter.

    why doesnt he sue the gun makers and the bullet makers? sue the medium not the alleged cause! Tosser!

  • Stevas mkII #9 7 years ago

    Don't worry boys, I'll sort this one out. I know where he lives, and what he looks like. I'll get over there pronto, sneak up on him, and suffocate the fucker with a bag.

    Um...


    No, wait...

  • Teeth #10 7 years ago

    Nah, what you wanna do is go up to the roof and get your armour, grab the rocket launcher from the alleyway, steal a sports car and hide until the police forget about it and then drive up to his house and crash the car so badly into his hedge/fence that it blows up, and fire a rocket straight into his bewildered face.

  • Thamuhacha #11 7 years ago

    The washington sniper / halo thing is the best one he has come up with.

    This wasn't his, but I also liked the linking of Columbine to Final Fantasy.

    These people are so creative they should be designing the games. We'd never see their plot twists coming.

    I'd love to see an interview with him.

  • Noogle #12 7 years ago

    So killing pedestrains and ambulance workers is essential to completing the game. You know, if he had a level that looked like his school, I might have bought it - it is a violent game - but this is beyond grasping for straws. Perhaps they should also sue the makers of Chess (India?) if they find a chess board in his room - after all, that can teach you tactical movement... Knight to teacher!

  • space_ace #13 7 years ago

    btw 'manhunt' was a huge bait on rockstar's behalf and they all bought it!

  • ruttyboy #14 7 years ago

    "The 18 certified does mean that they do not think children under the age of 18 is capable of dealing with a videogame that portrays violence..."

    Nope, it means that the BBFC believe that.

  • mad_caddy #15 7 years ago

    Before Video games/films/music what the hell did people blame for the reason their child went out and murdered people. and it did happen you can look it up, murders have been commited by children for years/decades/ages.

    so in the 1800 what/who did they blame? ye olde rockstar?

    as a rule we're quick to pass the blame as we don't want appear responsible! "wasn't me guv"

    i've been watching 18 videos from a very early age (which i think was irresponsible of my parents) and to this day have not committed a violent offence or adding to that any sort of offence! i guess this is due to knowing what's right and what's wrong, being taught well by those who raised me!

    I don't see why we should look directly at the games industry the music industry or the film industry when one phsycho does something stupid.

  • Thamuhacha #16 7 years ago

    >so in the 1800 what/who did they blame?

    "He must be a devil child! BURN HIM!"

  • CyberClaw #17 7 years ago

    mad_caddy, masturbation led to madness and premature death... So, I guess they'd blame whatever they found funneh to blame at the time.

    Honestly, way before GTA, in 1500, teenager bitches, simulated attacks, and blamed commoners on villages, saying that XYZ had casted a spell on them, so those people were dragged by the inquisition, tortured with instruments that'll make you throw up, just to think on how they are used and eventually killed. So, before GTA, they blamed spirits, different clothes, or maybe using more the left hand, or being blind/mute...

  • Royal Fool #18 7 years ago

    Let's go blame genetics!

  • CyberClaw #19 7 years ago

    Royal Fool, offsprings were to blame for their parents beaviour. If the father was a thief, so should the son be... and as weird as it might sound it makes some sense - although humans ain't THAT 2d, and what defines our ways into society isn't just our genetic heritage, but our personal social experience as well.

  • Sko #20 7 years ago

    He must be right about it being a killing simulator used by gangs, surely? I mean before the GTA series came about, millions of criminals were bewildered by the fact that once they went on a murderous rampage, police showed up. They _needed_ the game to help them make that connection of cause and effect...

  • dose #21 7 years ago

    <A HREF="http://www.stopkill.com& quot;>THIS</A> is his website...
    with email address... ;)

  • max #22 7 years ago

    can we read somewhere words from this genius?

    www.stopkill.com. Don't go there if you are of a nervous disposition, it may make you want to damage the man. IGN had a great article a few months ago (http:// ps2.ign.com/articles/536/536062p1.html), which seems to have been edited since I last read it, annotingly. Used to have lots of quotes from Jack Thompson saying things like "We have them in our sights and are going to blow them out of the water". He probably realised this language may have been prompted by videogames, and sued himself.

    Max

  • Thamuhacha #23 7 years ago

    From the website:

    "One current horrific example is a video game made available by Sony and Take-Two Interactive called Manhunt. This game allows you to train yourself to kill people by placing plastic bags over their heads while you watch them struggle while suffocating."

    I object. Firstly, as has been said before, it's available on Xbox and PC too. But mainly, you don't get "trained" to suffocate someone. Surely everyone knows that humans can't breathe through plastic. And anyone who puts a bag over someone else's head knows it won't be good for them. How does that person need a game to tell them this?

    What they would need training in, is how to get the bloody bag over the targets head while the target was thrashing around, fighting back and actively objecting to the whole affair.

    It's hardly just a question of pressing "square" is it? I reckon some form of physical training might be necessary.
    Edited by 1 at 12/10/04 @ 13:12

  • mentat #24 7 years ago

    i'm still waiting for someone to sue walt disney for tom and jerry - how violent? Makes me want to smack people with frying pans, that's for sure.
    How about the simpsons? they bought us itchy and scratchy and show us how to blow people up regularly!

    Ban them, BAN THEM ALL!! MWuahhahahahah

  • #25 7 years ago

    I believe some of these psychotic teens are also cruel to animals, so it must be the pet shop's fault that they turn out how they are,
    Or maybe they saw an episode of dawson's creek and that turned them into mindless killers.

    the point is, any number of links between violent behaviour and every day activities could be made, but maybe there would be more progress, if instead of pointing the finger and worrying about little timmy's disposition after a game of tetris. Parents actually taught kids to be nice to each other instead of passing the blame and expecting the rest of society to sort it out.

  • #26 7 years ago

    I'm right about dawson's creek though!

  • CyberClaw #27 7 years ago

    I dunno... I find stuff like Evangelion more depressing. The borderline betwen insanity and sanity sometimes is so thin... then again, I did get hit in the head as a child quite often (t'is true)

  • #28 7 years ago

    I'm going to play pikmin so I can learn how to make him do random tasks like open doors and knock down walls.

  • Thamuhacha #29 7 years ago

    >I see he is religious as well...

    Yep. Far Christian Right all the way. Which makes it surprising that he blamed Halo for John Allen Muhammad's sniper run. Instead of Islam.

    But I suppose there is less money in suing Muslims since other people in the US are kind of on top of that one already.

  • Psi #30 7 years ago

    the kid would have done it he was so close, on his way had to jump on the top of turtles heads then do a loop the loop collecting rings before rocket jumping over the school fence

    then realised he hadn't b82b43b8b84b86 and totally forgot all his weapons

    an elderly eyewittnesses was quoted saying "wft lolz noob, pwnd"


    /lick american idiot dog brain

  • mad_caddy #31 7 years ago

    wasnt John Allen Muhammad an ex military guy or something anyway?
    so after leaving that he went on to train on Halo....i see!

  • el-bandito #32 7 years ago

    Computer games clearly do not afect the way we behave... if they did, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching pills whilst listening to repetitive music ;)

  • Madder-Max #33 7 years ago

    This guy must really want this game to sell more than it will already! Classic Rockstar strategy!

  • Corben_Dallas #34 7 years ago

    Stupid US legal System, that guy should get a 'Stella' award.
    Idiot Lawyers like that should be stuck off for even bringin that case

    If the US legal system had any" Standards" there wouldnt be IDIOTS LIKE THIS TAKING STTOOOOOOOPID FRICKIN CASES LIKE THIS. :|
    that is all.

  • Freek #35 7 years ago

    I always wonder, do those people actaulyl fully realize how stupid the things are that they're spouting out in their press releases?

    The fact that GTA is based on real world crime not the other way around.
    Gangs kill people so Rockstar made a game about it, not the other way around.

    The guy gets his ass handed to him every time:

    trained by the US military, not video games
    victim owned Manhunt not the defendand

    Why does he even bother?

  • mustardkid #36 7 years ago

    he may be onto something.......i'm planning to use jet set willy to prepare myself for clearing out the loft..... and when half life 2 comes out i'm gonna use it to er prepare to erm sort the garden out...... you hear that suzie? ... its preparation

  • Nikanoru #37 7 years ago

    Shinchan, you're forgetting that in the wrong hands, EVERYTHING will promote violence.

    Even little white bunny rabbits.

  • mad_caddy #38 7 years ago

    i believe there was a very old game (can't remember what system but believe it was on the atari) in which you played a cowboy with wood and you had to get from one side of the screen to the other so you could rape the tied up native american woman! nah! not violent!

    Video games have always been evil, i remember a game called leapster in which you had to jump over moving traffic, or get run over!

    now that didnt get blamed when kids played chicken!

  • Thamuhacha #39 7 years ago

    >now that didnt get blamed when kids played chicken!

    The press were too busy blaming violent videos at the time. Now they are something that we show to kids to stop them playing games.

  • Thamuhacha #40 7 years ago

    That'll do the trick. No worries.

  • CyberClaw #41 7 years ago

    If you ask me my opinion if game influence our actions, yes they do. Specially "kids", who are more suceptible to violence and sex, they shouldn't contact such violent and sexual media when underage...
    Which is all the point. They shouldn't be playing the game for starters, it's not the game that turns their heads, but the repeated violence (which can be accumulated through TV, videogames or even music), that eventually distorts their already twisted visions of reality. Now, I know, firsthand, that a kid won't go beserk after playing GTA. I played GTA1 I was still a kid, and my cousins likewise. But we have something this kids don't. Parents. But parents ain't to blame for giving no attention or social education to their kids. The truth is, whomever got them the games is to blame. Personally I'd make a law similar to the already existing ones on the movie business, that would see fines and possibly emprisonment to someone selling 18+ games to a minor. That's the whole problem. Sure the parents should teach their kids to behave, but ignoring their kids it's their decision... Shops want to profit no matter what (publishers as well), so they don't have any problem selling GTA to a kid... With such a law, being enforced, the kids would be forced to take their parents with them to buy the game - giving them the responsibility of the media kids consume.

    Obviously this isn't as simple as that. There is a great deal of piracy going on arround the world. Kids this day, with internet and broadband don't need to set foot in a shop to get the latest game (and usually they won't because kids usually don't have the money to buy games), but I can't blame piracy either for it either. Here the fault is the parents, because they gave such a broad media medium to their kids.

    Of course that internet is a great tool. Videogames, movies and music great entertainment. And we all know we saw porn, watched the latest 18+ flick, etc when we were still 18-... And kids will always get their hands on media which is not "suitable" for them. The real awnser to stop this stupid kids going bananas with dad's AK47 Special Collector's Edition, is 2 things. First, restrict weapon access - in Portugal no one can buy a gun just for personal protection... Seccond, parents should start tending their kids again... you know like in the old times, when psicobullcrappers didn't teach us how to treat the kids. Kids would be smacked in the ass when they diserved. Nowadays "they" say have a conversation with the child. Ever tryed to have a conversation with a child? With all this protection surrounding them this days (and at the same time lack of), kids are all growing to be wrotten spoiled psicothic brats. I tell ya, next time your kid does some shit at school, wallop him with the back of your hand really strong. If you do it right, and scare him enough, he'll think twice before doing it again.

    We can't reason with kids. They are unreasonable. They are KIDs. Ence we have to institute our social behaviour laws, through respect and fear. Sounds bad, but it has always been like that. And it's like teaching a dog to take his morning dump outside of the house. Once it is taught, it should stick for the rest of his life.

  • mad_caddy #42 7 years ago

    guns are readily available in canada yet they have some of the lowest rates of gun crime and indeed crime in the world

    I blame society!

    /get's coat!

  • CyberClaw #43 7 years ago

    mad_caddy, but you are canadians. You, unlike other stupid humans, don't seem to glorify violence. Look at your armed forces. I mean, I know we spend lot's of our budget buying 3rd hand submarines... which is stupid because Portugal would be rapped by anyone in a war anyway, but the real reason for the submarines being bought, was that the jet7 could take trips in it.

    But everywhere outside of Canada, people cherish people killing maiming and torturing each other. People download real movies released by terrorists slitting throats and shooting people in the head, because they find it amusing... Rotten society. Canada is quite high in a place I'd like to live in... 4th to London, Japan, and Finland.

  • sam_spade #44 7 years ago

    I might move to the US and become a Lawyer. Sounds like a bloody easy job.

  • CyberClaw #45 7 years ago

    8% of the Americans have a law degree. That's why there are so many stupid cases. Because there are far too many people trying to be a lawyer. I guess it's quite hard to make a living out of it though...

  • Tiger_Walts #46 7 years ago

    Doesn't Unreal Tournament come from Canada...? :p

  • mad_caddy #47 7 years ago

    For the record i'm British not canadian

  • Lutz #48 7 years ago

    8%? I think that's a bit of wrong statistic. By them counts over 20million Americans have law degrees.

  • PinkSpider #49 7 years ago

    If someone is going to kill they are going to kill and a video game; which to be fair isnt really pushing the boundries of reality and isnt going to train them in real life combat/ tactics (maybe war tactics but how many people do you know who strafe and shit). Anyways a few points, if they dont want kids the be playing these games they shouldnt be given to them, they have age rating cetificates ffs (although to be fair I bought a few number of 18s (GTA1) before I was 18, but again ive never killed anyone (yet). Secondly why dont they cut down the amount of guns being sold, why do you need a gun? They arent legal in the UK and lots of other countries and out gun crime is much, much less (although Canada goes against this somewhat). Anyways im bored now, right wing christian non-gamers mostly will have the same views, and this is why they must burn.

    w00t first post of hopefully many ^_^
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/04 @ 12:58

  • CyberClaw #50 7 years ago

    Lutz, yea, I was thinking about it when I was writting it. It sounds like one of those made up exemplifications statistics. Anyways, I bet it is the country with the biggest percentage of lawyers per capita :)

  • aabyssx #51 7 years ago

    > why dont they cut down the amount of guns being sold, why do you need a gun

    Watch the film "Bowling for Columbine"!

  • CyberClaw #52 7 years ago

    A funny point, is that most videogames "train" people wrong.
    Let's look at Halo. Other than the pretty obvious tactics of shooting the enemy in the head, throw grenades to lots of enemies, every other tactic used, doesn't apply to real world.
    -In Halo you shoot strafe alot (because the enemies have energy shields), while in real life, 2 bullets kill a man, so no need to strafe shooting or bunny hopping.
    -In Halo you fall back to recover your energy shields. In real life, the best tactic is, crouch behind an object, and when engaging, RUN FORWARD. Never ever, backtrack. Run forward and shoot, because unlike games, people are able to be accurate with rifles when running (that's what a rifle is for, so that you can support the aim with your whole chest area, arms, shoulder, etc).
    -In Halo you can get hit by 20 bullets, and survive, with no health damage (just fall back to recover your shields). In real life, if you are shot once, you are most likely going to die, or, at the very least, going to be disabled during combat. Things like panic, blood loss, pain, disorientation, pressure, will certainly disable someone who'se only training was covenent hunting.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/04 @ 13:19

  • Thamuhacha #53 7 years ago

    >Anyways, I bet it is the country with the biggest percentage of lawyers per capita :)

    I was in seattle not long ago, and someone pointed out a building to me. Legend has it that the building in question had more lawyers in it than the whole of Japan. Which I can believe.

  • CyberClaw #54 7 years ago

    Was it called "Hell minion's barracks"?

  • ruttyboy #55 7 years ago

    "A funny point, is that most videogames "train" people wrong.
    Let's look at Halo. Other than the pretty obvious tactics of shooting the enemy in the head, throw grenades to lots of enemies, every other tactic used, doesn't apply to real world.
    -In Halo you shoot strafe alot (because the enemies have energy shields), while in real life, 2 bullets kill a man, so no need to strafe shooting or bunny hopping.
    -In Halo you fall back to recover your energy shields. In real life, the best tactic is, crouch behind an object, and when engaging, RUN FORWARD. Never ever, backtrack. Run forward and shoot, because unlike games, people are able to be accurate with rifles when running (that's what a rifle is for, so that you can support the aim with your whole chest area, arms, shoulder, etc).
    -In Halo you can get hit by 20 bullets, and survive, with no health damage (just fall back to recover your shields). In real life, if you are shot once, you are most likely going to die, or, at the very least, going to be disabled during combat. Things like panic, blood loss, pain, disorientation, pressure, will certainly disable someone who'se only training was covenent hunting."

    After reading that I am now fully combat trained and therefore must go on a killing rampage! Ban Cyber Claw he leads the poor fragile children astray!

    /sues


    ;)

  • CyberClaw #56 7 years ago

    Belive me, you'll never be combat trained until you actually shoot a gun/rifle. No matter how many movies you see, you'll never expect the kick the weapon gives to you. It's quite common to see guys shooting rifles while not well secured (resting against the shoulder), and having the rifle kick them in the teeth or chest. It's really funny. Specially when they try to say "what the fuck?" without their front teeth... 8-)
    A gun is easier to handle though, but then again, Halo trains us all to be gun snipers, which is obviously wrong :D

  • PinkSpider #57 7 years ago

    Ive seen the film, wasent amazing tbh. Still im against guns, we dont have them here ffs.

  • CyberClaw #58 7 years ago

    http://tubegato r.com/movie_clips.php3

  • MoFo #59 7 years ago

    What's more likely to make a fucked up kid?

    A computer game

    or

    bullying at school, abuse by parents, living in a deprived area, bad genes, chemical inbalance in the brain, being in with the "wrong crowd" and having a small penis.

    Oh sorry that last one was meant for this lawyer chap.
    Edited by 1 at 14/10/04 @ 11:29

  • tyTY #60 7 years ago

    whata nut job, GTA a killer, no way, if he wants to take the best series on the ps2 off the shelves lets make a rule that only EC games can hit the shelves.

    EC= Early Chiledhood

  • Peekaboo #61 7 years ago

    True Story, sent the guy an email and I actually got a reply back from him. It wasn't too exciting though, just a nonsense play on the 'think of the bereaved parents feeling' type response. Which I thought was amusing coming from a money grabbing no-moral money talks lawyer.........

  • Spike #62 7 years ago

    What I don't get is that all those idiotic type "Think Of The Children!!" people blaming GTA and whatnot...its a farely unrealistsic game. So why not go and blame The US Army that gave us their game that relatively accurately trains people on the use of various thing...it even shows us how to unjam a gun for christ sake, and was released as a recruiting thing!!
    That's it, next time I feel like shooting someone. I'm not gonna bother going out and testing my accuracy in reality, I'll just play GTA or AA and that way I'll automatically be brilliant!
    How bout some God mode aswell..

  • numdmind #63 7 years ago

    Hey everyone...I just thought I'd let you know that I wrote this guy a letter:
    "Dear Mr. Jack Thompson,

    This letter is in response to your attack on the entertainment industry. Although, as far as I can tell, you haven't really been all that successful yet, seeing as how you haven't won any cases against any of the video game makers. You have been able to spread false panic into the gullible minds of the public. You should have been a preacher, false panic seems to come naturally to you. I would like to point out that throughout the existence of this planet, many episodes of violence have played out. I'm not going to give you a history lesson, because you should be aware of this. I also would like to point out the violence your "God" pushes on this world. Now, I'm sure you've probably not read this far into the letter, and I'm also aware of the possibility that you are making all sorts of assumptions about what kind of a person I am. That's fine, think what you will, if it'll help you sleep at night.
    The main purpose for this letter is to ask you to stop and use common sense for a moment. Ask yourself if the entertainment industry is really the cause for all of this violence today? People are worried, I understand this. But to blame all of this on something material isn't the answer. RELIGION = WAR. Look it up, and tell me one war that hasn't begun because of religion. The truth behind it all is that religion is responsible for most of the violence you see today.
    Furthermore, I would like to ask you this question: Do you really believe that someone could train themselves to be a sniper by pressing a few buttons on a control pad? Also, if you bothered to play Grand Theft Auto at all, you would know that the point is not to kill pedestrians and emergency response teams. It's there, but with equal consequences for your actions. Maybe you need to do some research on the games you are slamming before you start making proclamations. It only weakens your case. As far as parents of victims go, they'll take any answer you give them for the death of their 16 year old son, so you should be ashamed of yourself for exploiting these people in their weakened state of mind just to further your own vendetta.
    Well, I am well aware of the fact that I have wasted the last 15 minutes of my life in writing this to you, because as I said before, you probably never made it this far into the letter. If you did, then I thank you for your time and reading what I had to say. Any response to this will be welcome, I would like to hear from you."
    This was his response:
    "get a life"

    I think that pretty much sums up this guys defense. Basically you're all wasting your time with this, because he will never get anything accomplished that he is trying to do. That's all I have to say about this matter. Jack Thompson is nothing.