Teen Set on Fire Over Video Game Debt
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: teen, set, fire, game, violence | Themes: Digital Entertainment, Business
Heinous.
An unpaid video game debt led to a 15-year-old boy being intentionally set on fire. According to police reports, by way of CNN, Michael Brewer was victimized by five other juveniles at a Deerfield Beach, Florida apartment complex.
Apparently, Brewer owed one of the suspects $40 for a video game and hadn't yet paid it. The suspect then allegedly stole Brewer's father's bicycle, which was reported to the police. The suspect was arrested but was subsequently released to his parents.
The suspect and two other youths later approached Brewer at the apartment complex. Witnesses told police that the suspect yelled, "He's a snitch, he's a snitch" and "pour it on him," before rubbing alcohol from a plastic jug was thrown on Brewer, who was then set afire from a lighter.
A resident of the apartment complex came to Brewer's rescue with a fire extinguisher, just before the boy ripped off his shirt and jumped in a swimming pool. Brewer suffered second-degree burns over 80-percent of his body and is expected to be hospitalized for five months.
Five juveniles were arrested earlier this week in connection with the incident.
"A couple of them last night were laughing about it," sheriff's Sgt. Steve Feeley said. "One of them arrested today seems genuinely sorry about it."
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Tragic and disgusting.
People are such assholes these days
Sad sad story...
Hope this is not going to be another gamer hater news...
But seriously, no matter what reason or what causes it... violence done by under age people on/off campus is just getting way too crazy.
Since when setting a person on fire or shootting somebody becames something that teen age people laugh about.
Laughing about it? Charge those brats as adults and see if they laugh about it then.
Give the kids two options.
1. Burn 80% of their bodies.
2. Go to jail for 15+ years with no option for parole.
I'm pretty certain which punishment they'll take and I'm certain they deserve both. That kid who was burned is never going to be the same again. Not only is he going to spend five months in the hospital but he'll spend YEARS recovering and then he still won't be able to function normally in society as he could before he was burned. Heinous crime. I sincerely hope these kids don't get off easily.
I've said it once, and i'll say it countless more times: Tomato shoes, mango buffer, and a flaming teenager = Great way to kill an afternoon.
I vote that Toms sets up a charity for this kid!
... Jesus christ.
Truly sad and pathetic. They should honestly be tried for stupidity on an epic scale (and as adults.) 40$ = worth nearly killing for? WTF is wrong with them?
Jail? They should put them to death and save the taxpayers a lot of money.
Since when would you do something like this to someone because of a $40 debt? This is pretty sad, I'm sure we don't see all of the details but obviously this was wrong. I hope those kids don't do anything like this to anyone again.
"One of them arrested today seems genuinely sorry about it."
No, one of them is genuinely sorry about being caught. If the kid was genuinely sorry, he would have turned himself in. And if he had half a soul, he would have stopped it in the first place.
the victim was white, kids who set the fire were black. weird how jesse jackson isnt around calling this a racist act.
Wow. Watch this kid get off with 2 months jail and 2 yrs probation.
I would tackle them while on fire, and enjoy the fact that after they die and are reborn, they too will be set on fire and know the pain. This is just horrible, and I hope they go to jail for attempted murder. As a 15 year old, I have seen similar things, but NEVER this horrible. It just blows me away that ANYONE can live with themselves and LAUGH after catching someone on fire over 40$. My friend broke my 50$ headphones, and do you see me doing something that bad? Other kids need to learn to be civil and behave like sane human beings.
I can see why people think the apocalypse is coming in 2012.
People just keep getting more and more foolish and have no sympathy.
Seems as though now a days the only emotion is hate.
Goddamnit. Will you stop linking this shit to video games?
Problem: He had a debt.
Freaky solution: Obviously psychotic 'juveniles' set him on fire.
Okay, so the debt was for video games. Why is this supposed to mean that video games are the problem?
@ Kelavarus
No one is saying video games are the problem.
Brewer "reported somebody for stealing his dad's bike," the sheriff said. "That's what this comes down to. It's retaliation."
The perpetrators need to be put down like dogs!
+1 for the charity
Have fun in jail.
The perpetrators need to be put down like dogs! +1 for the charity
whoa, whoa, there buddy. I think you're a bit out of line for sayin that. We shouldn't put dogs down, they our best friends!
yeah, I agree. It seems that anytime anything happens to anyone who owns a game they throw that in "gamer, game, gaming".. Really sad story, but stop blaming gaming. It's not gaming. Lots of crazy people in this world, just because crazy people play games, doesn't mean they did it because of gaming. SHEEEEESH!!!
Punish the juvines.... Put them in prison....
I dunno, maybe it's just me, but I keep on hearing stories about parents who get fined or sent to jail if they spank there kids...
Maybe just maybe these kids aren't being spanked or punished enough by there parents. Or, maybe they are abused.... Either way, i've been a gamer since I was about 6 years old. I watch scary movies, listen to rap, and play extremely violent games, including gtaiv. But, i have no jail time, or police record to speak of except for a few speeding tickets.. Also, most of my friends who "are" gamers, don't have records. But I know a lot of people who don't play, who are always getting in trouble.
Maybe they should investigate these crimes before blaming gaming. thats all im saying.
Leave gaming out of it, it's just going to become an excuse for kids to do bad things. It's like, blaming the dog for eating your homework. It's bullshit and everyone knows it.
Hey, maybe it's the hormones they put in all the food, or the energy drinks.
I don't understand why people think the human race is getting more violent. When haven't humans been violent? Stuff like this and worse things have gone on since we existed. Comments like ubernoobies and Gin Fushichos amaze me.
I also agree they should be charged as adults. But not set on fire because then we will lose another 5 possibly productive members of society. They need to be put to work by the government to make sure they are productive.
When they get put inside, I hope they drop the soap...
this happened one city north of me. i am in ft lauderdale, and stuff like this is on the news every day here. i desperately want to leave this state so my child doesnt become a victim.
we should linch those niggers. < dont worry i'm a native american so its not racist because according to jesse jackson its only racist if your white and its against black people. You have to fill both requirements oh and it cant be the other way around because then they're just kidding or horsing around.
When they get put inside, I hope they drop the soap...
lol, ur funny.
I vote that Toms sets up a charity for this kid!
That would be awesome, hahaha and then all the other kids are like "WTF HOW DID HE GET $200?!??!?!?!
Other people's kids...I tell ya'...
Give the kids two options.1. Burn 80% of their bodies.2. Go to jail for 15+ years with no option for parole. I'm pretty certain which punishment they'll take and I'm certain they deserve both. That kid who was burned is never going to be the same again. Not only is he going to spend five months in the hospital but he'll spend YEARS recovering and then he still won't be able to function normally in society as he could before he was burned. Heinous crime. I sincerely hope these kids don't get off easily.
Psh.. back in the friggin middle ages they would have put you on a stake and burned you SLOWLY if you did something like this.
Considering I think 15+ years sounds better. Sadly, most of our Government/nation has been taught that such a thing would be "evil". Of course, having 80% of your body burned wasn't evil.
Personally, I hope they get 15 years AND something else, I don't know what, but they just wasted at least a year of this kids life, THAT to me is evil.
o my god...they ruined this poor boy's life over a video game?!!! the kid will probably never look the same again. if i was that kid id buy a barret .50 and shoot they limbs off one at a time....(but thats just me)