Daniel Petric killed his mother and shot his father over Halo 3

Another tragic and unthinkable story with a relation to a violent video game has just surfaced in the news. The trial for Daniel Petric began December 15, 2008. Over a year ago, on October 20, 2007, when Daniel was 16, he killed his mother and tried to kill his father – all because they didn’t want him playing Halo 3.

Daniel’s parents, New Life Assembly of God minister Mark Petric and his wife Susan (pictured at right), didn’t want Daniel playing Halo 3 and forbade him to buy it. Daniel didn’t listen, and around a month before the attack snuck out and bought the game. His parents found out he bought it on his own, and confiscated the game. Mark then placed Halo 3 in a lockbox, where he also happened to keep the family’s handgun.

Daniel managed to get the key when his father was unaware. He took both the gun and game. He shot his mother in the head, arms and chest and his father in the head. Luckily, his father’s wound wasn’t fatal. Daniel then tried to frame his father, and tried to force his dad to hold the gun so it would look like a murder-suicide.

Daniel’s older sister and her husband, fortunately, were coming over that way to watch a baseball game, and ended up arriving right at that time. Daniel tried to keep them from coming in, claiming the parents had a fight, but the daughter and her husband heard strange noises and forced their way in. The sister called 911 while her husband got the gun. Daniel ran, still holding onto Halo 3.

Daniel’s lawyer’s “excuse” for the incident was that, because of a snowboarding accident that gave Daniel a staph infection and severe spinal damage, Daniel was under incredible stress and had become obsessed with video games. The Weekly Vice states that, until the trial, the motive for the murder and attempted murder – Halo 3, was a secret.

This is a horrible tragedy. Especially since the parents were trying to do the right thing. They set boundaries for their child, wouldn’t enable him by buying the game in the first place and took steps to remove the game so it hopefully wouldn’t become an issue. It is incredibly disheartening to see that a person would go so far over a stupid video game. Our deepest sympathies should go out to the family shattered by this instance.

Read [Cleveland.com] Also Read [The Weekly Vice]