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Ohio Teen Killed Mom Over Video Game
By M.R. KROPKO, AP
ELYRIA, Ohio (Jan. 13) - Although a teenager's obsession with a violent video game may have warped his sense of reality, the boy is guilty of murdering his mother and wounding his father after they took "Halo 3" away from him, a judge ruled Monday.

"I firmly believe that Daniel Petric had no idea at the time he hatched this plot that if he killed his parents they would be dead forever," Lorain County Common Pleas Judge James Burge said.

Nonetheless, Burge rejected the defense attorneys' argument that Petric, 17, was not guilty by reason of insanity.

The defense didn't contest that Petric shot his parents in October 2007 after they took the game away from him, but insisted that the teen's youth and addiction made him less responsible.

Petric may have been addicted, but the evidence also showed he planned the crime for weeks, said Burge, who found the teenager guilty of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder and other charges.

Tried as an adult, Petric faces a maximum possible penalty of life in prison without parole. The judge didn't set a sentencing date.

The teen's mother, Susan Petric, 43, died of a gunshot wound to the head. Her husband, Mark Petric, a minister at New Life Assembly of God in Wellington, also was shot in the head but survived.

After the verdict was announced, Petric turned to look at his father seated behind him in the courtroom. Mark Petric, who previously said he has forgiven his son, gave an encouraging nod.

Mark Petric and other relatives left the court without comment.
Prosecutors said Petric planned to kill his parents because he was angry that his father would not allow him to play the video game, in which players shoot alien monsters that have taken over the Earth.

On the night of the shooting, Petric used his father's key to open a lockbox and remove a 9 mm handgun and the game.

Mark Petric testified that his son came into the room and asked: "Would you guys close your eyes? I have a surprise for you." He testified that he expected a pleasant surprise. Then his head went numb from the gunshot.

Deputy prosecuting attorney Anthony Cillo argued during the trial that the teenager had planned to make it appear to be a murder-suicide by putting the gun in his father's hand.

Defense Attorney James Kersey said that when the teenager fled the grisly scene, he only took one item with him: the "Halo 3" game.

Bungie LLC, once part of Microsoft, developed the Xbox 360-exclusive Halo 3, and Microsoft owns the game's intellectual property. Microsoft declined to comment beyond a statement: "We are aware of the situation and it is a tragic case."

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Just one word for this: sad.

Any way you cut it,...hold this kid accountable.

Damn it !!

It is sad,


Clearly the boy has problems

I read this story awhile back, very sad... Lock the kid up for good, I firmly believe that he understood his actions. Like Punch said, if he didn't at understand that shooting your parents would kill them at 17, he'd ever understand it.

I heard about this on WTAM this morning as I was leaving for class. I found the Judge's remarks interesting and kinda wacked at the same time. He compared this video game to crack cocaine saying it releases dopamine the same way. And, he believes this kid was so into this game that he thoughts his parents would come back. meaning once you turn off the xbox, you can turn it back on,,the aliens will be back again. So this kid supposedly didn't realize that killing his mother would be forever.

he was 17 years old, that's horse---- I mean I love video games too but since I was younger I knew they weren't real. This defense about how video games cause violence is so stupid. Now this may open up to a civil lawsuit in the future, and kids are going to say video games told them to do some crime against their parents. Just watch.

I agree. Video games causing violence in kids is bs IMO. I know of no one in which that has happened.

I dunno Lee...Frogger caused me to believe that I could quickly hop across busy streets and not get hit and hop onto logs and not sink in the water.

Pacman also taught me that I could kill ghosts by eating white pellets and chomping the ghosts.

Mario Bros taught me that I could shoot fireballs out of my hands and hitting boxes with my head could get me lots of coins.

Should I go on?

I did leave myself wide open for that one! LOL

Well Mike Tyson's "Punchout" taught me I could whoop Tyson's ass!

Ahhh the Atari,,you names some of my favorites as a kid. But you forgot to mention Space Invaders

Seriously though I am growing tired of that damn excuse. And the Judge didn't believe too that the kid planned this out. Like it was a continuation of his game. The kid told his mom and dad to close their eyes and he will give them a surprise. Then, BOOM! Shot in the face. BOOM! Shoots his mother and then places the gun in his dad's hand and say's "here's your gun" and leaves.
Yeah he didn't plan it. It just happened. My ass.

OK, end of rant

I just grow tired of the stupidity in this world. You have this and old people driving that really tick me off

There was violence before video games. So do we blame TV?
There was violence before TV. So do we blame movies?
There was violence before movies. So do we blame books?
There was violence before books. So do we blame...humans?

Not that it really matters, but was this kid 17 in October of 2007, at the time of the shootings, or is he 17 now? I read it as now.

The world is just lucky I couldn't find a real live pterodactyl to fly around on or it would have been in BAAAAAAD shape.

Wow is all I can say. And I mean that in the saddest capacity possible.

http://www.cleveland.com/news/index.ssf/2008/12/boy_killed_mom_and_shot_dad_ov.html

Says he was 16 when he did it.

This kids actions are despicable and idiotic.

But I think that the parents decision to lock up a freaking video game like it was some kind of force of unparalleled corruption was pretty stupid as well.

Your kid is 16, 17 years old----and he isn't allowed to play Halo---give me a break.

For whatever reason, I kind of feel that the parents actions led this kid to do this. Like they treated him as though this game was going to cause him to do awful things----and sure enough, he shoots them both, and in a sick way----he lives up to their expectations.

I think this is possibly one of the most sickening things I've ever heard, but I wouldn't fault the lawyer since he would be reprimanded if he didn't zealously represent his client.

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But I think that the parents decision to lock up a freaking video game like it was some kind of force of unparalleled corruption was pretty stupid as well.

Your kid is 16, 17 years old----and he isn't allowed to play Halo---give me a break.

For whatever reason, I kind of feel that the parents actions led this kid to do this. Like they treated him as though this game was going to cause him to do awful things----and sure enough, he shoots them both, and in a sick way----he lives up to their expectations.

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So you think it's wrong for a parent to take a video game away from a child? Oh please. Maybe this kid was playing the game 24/7 and neglecting his schoolwork.

That kid was sick in the head with or without the video game. He was going to commit some act of violence at some point in his life regardless.

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But I think that the parents decision to lock up a freaking video game like it was some kind of force of unparalleled corruption was pretty stupid as well.

Your kid is 16, 17 years old----and he isn't allowed to play Halo---give me a break.

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It's discipline. It doesn't say WHY they had it locked up. Maybe it was a temporary punishment for a lousy report card or missing curfew....

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For whatever reason, I kind of feel that the parents actions led this kid to do this.

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Because they took his widdle video game? Welcome to the next generation...

Anyone who argues that taking away the video game and his obsession with the video game caused this kid to do it is an idiot.

It's a freakin video game


As people have said, obviously the boy had some major issues, unrelated to the video game. It's the same with those Columbine kids and how people said that it had to do with video games. People are either nuts or they aren't, a video game doesn't change that.


Now his parents taking away the videogame might have driven him to do it, but that's obviously no excuse at all. Kid was a nut case, losing Halo 3 must have sent'm over the edge, but it doesn't change anything.


I agree with everyone, people need to be held accountable for their actions........ And this is the case with many things, obsesity, violence, drugs and alcohol, etc.

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It's the same with those Columbine kids and how people said that it had to do with video games.

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I thought that was the Marilyn Manson music?

To qoute Todd Snider: "Cuz they know if you're doing the pointing, nobody's looking at you"

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It's the same with those Columbine kids and how people said that it had to do with video games. People are either nuts or they aren't, a video game doesn't change that.

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apparently, someone else agrees with you, Pete:

check it out...