Video games might have influenced merciless killers like Christopher Harper-Mercer, Dylann Roof and other shooters.
An article in Movieguide.com written by Lyndee Fletcher claims that these shooters were addicted to violent video games.
"Mercer was known as a recluse who obsessed with violent gaming and the digital world, even finding supporters on those sites," the article stated.
In a chat room on 4chan, the article read, Mercer allegedly posted, "Some of you guys are alright. Don't go to school tomorrow if you are in the northwest. So long space robots."
The responses he got include "DO IT," "You might want to target a girl's school which is safer because there are no beta males throwing themselves for their rescue," and "I am so excited for this. If this comes true then thank you for my late birthday gift anon."
After the shooting, some posted "THE MADMAN ACTUALLY DID IT" and "That score, ouch. Not even double digits on current reports."
"One cannot turn a blind eye to the obvious link between violent video games and mass murders. For the 40th time this year, the 141st time since the Sandy Hook Massacre, a gunman has opened fire in a school. Hollywood, especially the gaming industry, should be taking some of the responsibility for these shootings," the article stated.
It named mass killers that are addicted to video games. The verbatim descriptions are as follows:
1. Adam Lanza, Sandy Hook Elementary, was a frequent player of violent first-person shooter video games. It was said his existence largely involved playing violent computer video games in a bedroom.
2. James Holmes, went on a rampage in a movie theater showing "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colorado in July 2012, He was a frequent player of violent video games including "World of Warcraft," an infamously addictive role-playing game.
3. Jared Lee Loughner, shot Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six others in Tucson in January 2011, was both mentally ill and a video gamer.
4. Eric Harris, based on his journal, a panel of psychologists, psychiatrists, and FBI agents point to Harris' contempt for others and his total lack of empathy and conscience as evidence of his psychopathic tendencies. He also enjoyed violent video games.
5. Elliot Rodger, killed seven young men and women including himself. He was hooked on violent video games from a young age from his own admission, hiding himself in "the World of Warcraft," a place where he felt comfortable and secure.
6. Nehemiah Griego, killed five including his mother, father and little children. He loved playing violent video games and even enjoyed talking about them to crime investigators.
7. Jacob Tyler Roberts, played violent video games. His rampage enacted a violent scene in Grand Theft Auto.
8. Anders Behring Breivik, shot 68 people to death at a youth camp of the Norwegian Labour party, another eight in a bombing of government buildings According to the judgment rendered against him, he liked playing violent games.
9. Michael Carneal, shot girls as they prayed in a prayer group. Carneal never moved his feet during his shootings, and never fired far to the left or right, but instead fired only once at each target that appeared, just as a player of video games maximises his game score by shooting only once at each victim, in order to hit as many targets as possible.
10. Jose Reyes, 12-year-old boy opened fire with a semiautomatic handgun at Sparks Middle School last October, killing a teacher and wounding two students before turning the gun on himself. He had watched violent video games for months.
11. Dylann Storm Roof, spent much of his time playing violent video games.
12. Jeff Weise, sixteen-year-old, shot dead nine people at and near his Red Lake, Minnesota home. He had an obsession with violent animation.
13. Chris Harper Mercer, shot dead nine people and another seven injured in a community college in southern Oregon.
14. Evan Ramsey, snuck a shot gun into his high school and shot a student, principal, and wounded two others. He claimed that a video game called "Doom distorted his version of reality: "I did not understand that if I pull out a gun and shoot you. . . you're not getting back up. You shoot a guy in 'Doom,' and he gets back up. You have got to shoot the things in 'Doom' eight or nine times before it dies."
The article stated that a research by the Ohio State University concluded that "people who have a steady diet of playing these violent video games may come to see the world as a hostile and violent place."
