Trigger-Happy Kids and the Media's Misconceptions

In grotesque gun news, an 8-year-old picked up a handgun (in a house), and shot his grandmother in the face, minutes after playing Grand Theft Auto IV.



Unsurprisingly, TV media has been looking for a sexy angle. Here's CNN's take on it:



Also, here's what FOX NEWS had to say:



Nobody's even asking how the 8-year-old child got the hold of a handgun. A lot of headlines to this story are saying "8-year-old Shoots Grandma After Playing a Video Game". Rationally, the headline should say "8-year-old Child Kills Grandma After Somehow Getting Ahold of a Gun". How about we argue that angle. Because, that's the issue here: unsupervised access to firearms for a minor less than 9-years-old.

What gets me, is that every time a kid accidentally shoots someone or even himself, the media is quick to tender thrash that the child was probably playing violent video games. It's all too typical. Nonetheless, I played Grand Theft Auto whenever I had to. Still do. It's one of my favourite games. I killed hookers and cops, but I never translated to the real world.

My main message to CNN and the likes of it, is that they should stick to getting the news wrong about the #BostonBombing because they wanted to be the "first" to broadcast about how Kim Kardashian's baby bump would affect the world. In the meantime, I'd be scouring the entire Internet for all the info I can get concerning GTA V.