real world
Guy With Gun: 'Only PS3 Can Save My Family'
Posted by Brian Ashcraft at 4:00 PM on August 15, 2008
Just outside St. Louis, a man robbed an EB Games store a gun point (pictured). The man walked into the shop, picked out a game, and pulled a small handgun on the clerk. Here's the kooky part: He told the clerk that his family was being held hostage and needed a PS3 to set them free. Then, the man told the clerk to call the police after he left the store because his family needed help. Well, that's original. And crazy.
Police: Man Steals Playstation 3, Says It's to Save His Family [KSDK via PS3 Fanboy]

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
BlackMage66652
Posted 4:29 PM 15/8/08
@Suda51:
I'd love to know this too.
I NEED CLOSURE DAMMIT!
BlackMage66652
TheNexusRebound
Posted 4:29 PM 15/8/08
If this is true the people holding this guys family really aren't asking for much. I mean if the dude simply wanted to rob the place you think he would have snagged cash and the system too. The world is one weird place.
TheNexusRebound
Posted 4:28 PM 15/8/08
@: exactly my point
FP_slomo788
Posted 4:26 PM 15/8/08
@Eclectus: +12 internets! Amazing movie.
FP_slomo788
Posted 4:25 PM 15/8/08
I was robbed at gun point when i worked for GS. It was scary as fuck... but the stupid thing was is we had systems. tons of them. but the jack ass that robbed me took the money from the registers and the safe... NONE of the systems we had even tho he saw them all.
on a different note i do think small strip stores like this need higher security. i no longer work in small stores because of what happened. and shortly after i was robbed there was a robbery at a store in san antonio where a girl was actually killed. its scary when you have such high dollar stuff and NO protection whatsoever. I know damn well GS could afford a silent alarm or something
VishusBurn
Posted 4:22 PM 15/8/08
That man has seen way to many movies.
If your going to perform armed robbery you may as well go for more than $500. I mean fuck; at least empty out the register while you're are at it.
VishusBurn
UbeWoll working on Eternally Retold: A Soul Calibur Tale
Posted 4:22 PM 15/8/08
Dear Sony Marketing Team:
Learn boundaries. Thanks.
UbeWoll working on Eternally Retold: A Soul Calibur Tale
Balance_In_Life
Posted 4:21 PM 15/8/08
Holy crap, thats like maybe MAYBE 10 mins from where i work. Kinda scary.
Balance_In_Life
Your-Face-Has-To-Be-A-Lie
Posted 4:20 PM 15/8/08
I live right by that store I know the women working there wow...
Your-Face-Has-To-Be-A-Lie
boopadoo
Posted 4:19 PM 15/8/08
People, the guy pulled a GUN on a person! That should be INSTANT ASSHOLE in anyone's book.
He doesn't deserve any credit.
boopadoo
Indy_aka_Rex
Posted 4:19 PM 15/8/08
I knew it, Nintendo's a secret oriental branch of Cyberdine, and the only thing standing between John Connor and death, is... the Playsterminator!
Wii: Have you seen this Boy? His name is John Connor.
Indy_aka_Rex
sexdrugsandps3
Posted 4:18 PM 15/8/08
LMFAO!!!!....*sigh*...I neeeded that...
sexdrugsandps3
Posted 4:16 PM 15/8/08
Knowing Sony, this is probably another "creative" viral ad campaign, like the graffiti one in New York. Expect to see more crazy armed gunman with a sob story, like needing the PS3 to cure their AIDS.
drifter13
Posted 4:16 PM 15/8/08
Sounds like the dude was a bit short of a full stack, but I guess we'll have to wait and see how this pans out. I'm guessing it was a less then well thought out attempt at bewilderment or creating an excuse when he gets busted. My bet is by the time the cops get him, the PS3 will be gone and he'll have a few hundreds on him, screaming how some mysterious hostage taker took the system.
drifter13
kadaj24
Posted 4:15 PM 15/8/08
Maybe his family really was being held ransom by some teenagers for a PS3. I mean, it's not like lying about it is gonna keep him from going to jail. It is possible. Why would the guy need to make up an explanation if he has a gun? Or I'm just gullible and underestimating his stupidity.
kadaj24
SnprSlick
Posted 4:15 PM 15/8/08
well played robber man. well played.
If you can steal something without alerting/harming the people within the store. You are amazing.
SnprSlick
B-Minus
Posted 4:13 PM 15/8/08
So he was role-playing, with shooter elements.
B-Minus
Milkzhakes
Posted 4:11 PM 15/8/08
@Suda51: if it they were then harsh and he was doing what he had. but if they weren't then this is hilarious and im not going to hell for laughing.
Milkzhakes
elevenoverzero
Posted 4:11 PM 15/8/08
Dude deserves a PS3 for those theatrics.
elevenoverzero
Posted 4:10 PM 15/8/08
Wow, I used to live in the St. Louis metro area in the suburbs, but not where this happened. Damn that's a weird story.
Posted 4:09 PM 15/8/08
Solid Snake has his wife at gunpoint.
Sentry
Posted 4:07 PM 15/8/08
Read this hours ago.. oh and there is a video of it too, you could embed.
Imagine if he is telling the truth.... then again that wouldn't make much sense or else he would have told her his address or something. Plus why would someone holding your family hostage let you go like that? XD
Sentry
AntiZERØ
Posted 4:07 PM 15/8/08
@AntiZERØ: Very recent news.
AntiZERØ
Posted 4:07 PM 15/8/08
Well with the orignal launch price close to $700, and the caliber of security in a strip mall with a store like a game stop, I was pretty suprised we didn't hear more of these stories. A $400 piece of hardware is still probably enough for people to shoot you over. $125 Air Jordans were back in Flint Michigan.
Posted 4:07 PM 15/8/08
Oh come on! I need closure!
AntiZERØ
Posted 4:07 PM 15/8/08
Reminds me of the Dangerous Convict that escaped prison by fooling the guard into thinking he was someone else. His Prison Mug-shot was on the front of a popular local newspaper. A few days later, the same paper claimed he was caught after joking with a store clerk that he looked like the guy on the front page of that particular edition.
AntiZERØ
Eclectus
Posted 4:06 PM 15/8/08
(A)"...you said i had delusions... that i created a world... you said you could explain everything..."
(B)"Well, i can't. ... i mean...i'm trying to. i can't believe that everything we do or say has already happened, that we can't change what's going to happen, that i'm one of the three billion people who are going to die...soon."
Eclectus
Rob
Posted 4:05 PM 15/8/08
Yeah let's break the law in order to save our families... Even better, let's make sure to remind the victim to contact the police and tell them about it. Genius!
Rob
rich8606
Posted 4:04 PM 15/8/08
At least he's being original...
rich8606
Posted 4:03 PM 15/8/08
@Suda51: yeah, I'm curious about that too, lol..
Roc-Thul
Posted 4:03 PM 15/8/08
I actually haven't heard this one yet.
Roc-Thul
Darkest Daze
Posted 4:03 PM 15/8/08
I still can't believe the number of crimes that are being reported over the last year directly related to the PS3.
Darkest Daze
Fadakar
Posted 4:03 PM 15/8/08
Reverse psychology, nice dude!
Fadakar
Posted 4:03 PM 15/8/08
lol....hilarious.
Suda51
Posted 4:03 PM 15/8/08
So, was his family really being held hostage...?
Suda51
Mujah
Posted 4:55 PM 15/8/08
@Rob: What, wouldn't you? If your family's life was at risk and the guys said, "Get me a PS3," what would your reaction be? Call the cops and hope that they have time to get to you before the guy figures out what you've done and blows the heads off of your loved ones? Or do you go and do what you can, hoping the police will respond in time?
If you've watched enough crime shows (the documentary ones, not that CSI crap), you've seen the response time and care that police sometimes offer. Not discounting all cops, but it's an unfortunate fact that a lot of them just plain don't care.
I also take it that you've never called 911 and received a busy signal in return. It's happened to me a total of four times in my life.
Mujah
biznatch
Posted 4:54 PM 15/8/08
Sony next ad: "PS3 saved my family. It can saves yours too."
biznatch
dkrefft
Posted 4:47 PM 15/8/08
So he took the time to drive to an EB Games, pick out a game, then rob the place, because his family is being held hostage?
If that were really the case...shouldn't he have just called the police? Sounds fishy to me, but definitely a strange thing to say whilst committing armed theft.
dkrefft
Posted 4:44 PM 15/8/08
tbh she probably offered him $20 trade in on the gun...
Len Bias Cocaine Surplus
Posted 4:43 PM 15/8/08
Haze wasn't all that good.
Len Bias Cocaine Surplus
Neo-Senku: The World's Finest Pervert
Posted 4:42 PM 15/8/08
Well this is definatly something ps3 has over the competion, the power to save families.
Neo-Senku: The World's Finest Pervert
XeroKool
Posted 4:40 PM 15/8/08
Armed robbery has changed...
XeroKool
oneshot_
Posted 4:36 PM 15/8/08
The ps3 can do everything! Saving families included!
Definitely a 10 year product in my eyes. Go SONY!
oneshot_
breakblossom
Posted 4:34 PM 15/8/08
Video games don't lead people to violence, consoles do!
I don't believe the story at all. There's just GOT to be other ways to go about getting a PS3 that you know... maybe DON'T involve you robbing EB at gunpoint.
breakblossom
ShineyBlueShoes
Posted 4:31 PM 15/8/08
With all the stupid crime going on over video games I could sadly see people being held hostage for such things.
ShineyBlueShoes
I_Hate_This_Place
Posted 5:14 PM 15/8/08
@gnudna: Give an example please?
I_Hate_This_Place
Tyrannical
Posted 5:14 PM 15/8/08
Hey, how about you take that gun you have and go rescue your familiy instead of robbing a gamestop.
Tyrannical
Shak_0
Posted 5:14 PM 15/8/08
I really hope that game he picked out isn't GTA. Otherwise, we can expect this to be in the news for the next month or so.
Shak_0
scotty
Posted 5:12 PM 15/8/08
Innovation.
scotty
Posted 5:11 PM 15/8/08
@Deaf Mute: lol you work at EB.
gnudna
Posted 5:06 PM 15/8/08
On a side note there are a bunch of people with misplaced ideologies on this forum.
gnudna
AngelMayLaugh
Posted 5:04 PM 15/8/08
Sony needs to lower the price before I do this.
AngelMayLaugh
gnudna
Posted 5:03 PM 15/8/08
Also giving the guy the console or 3 of them is the right thing to do cause 1.) the stores are insured 2.) your not.
gnudna
I_Hate_This_Place
Posted 5:02 PM 15/8/08
@Mujah: No. I'd buy one. Or I'd run in and steal just a display box of a PS3. The funny thing about your comment is that you're willing to suspend rational thought and take the guy at his word that his family really is in danger. Even if his family is in danger, it does not excuse his actions.
I_Hate_This_Place
gnudna
Posted 5:01 PM 15/8/08
Well what ever the reason, his mug shot is posted and he will be caught shortly... Now as far as creative stories go.. you guys should watch CNN some of the best work of fiction possing as news is taking place as we type. Also pulling a gun on someone is just stupid and dangerous, The guy could have just grabbed a system and called it a day since im pretty sure nobody would have tried to stop him. Also he will have avoided the armed robbery charge.
Now if the story is true, you must remember some people panic under stress and do seriously dumb things. Don't believe watch the news ;)
gnudna
Posted 5:00 PM 15/8/08
HAHAHAHA
Suck it xbawks! When was the last time someone pull this crap for a 360?
hagridore
Posted 5:00 PM 15/8/08
He needed Nathan Drake to save his family.
hagridore
Deft_One
Posted 4:59 PM 15/8/08
Maybe he wants some family bonding over Little Big Planet?
"Crap, it's the 40 gig?...Damn it.."
Deft_One
Deaf Mute
Posted 4:58 PM 15/8/08
To everyone who insulted the clerk, FUCK OFF.
She was being robbed at gunpoint, regardless of whether she believed the story giving the man the PS3 was the right thing to do.
I work at that store and just found out about this tonight, I know only as much as the rest of you but even then you should've known the clerk isn't at fault in anyway.
Tomorrow though I'll find out more about this, I'm just glad she wasn't hurt. She's a pretty nice person.
Deaf Mute
Posted 5:44 PM 15/8/08
SRS BUSINESS GUYS
Neverkilled: The complete series
Posted 5:40 PM 15/8/08
previously, on 24
"Damnit chloe I need to fold the protiens NOW!"
"We're on it jack"
Neverkilled: The complete series
Bergerac
Posted 5:40 PM 15/8/08
LOL He should get away with it for such a twist!
Bergerac
xCruciaLx
Posted 5:29 PM 15/8/08
The Hostage taker or this man is very wise.
They choose the PS3 instead of the other 2.
:)
xCruciaLx
Posted 5:27 PM 15/8/08
I'd let him go free just because of how entertaining his story was.
Shachihoko
Posted 5:27 PM 15/8/08
This reminded me of this true story my Aunt told me about:
She work at one of the retails at the Wynn Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. There was a guy at the one of the table games, he snatched up an armful of $500 poker chips and flees out of the casino. While he was running from the securities, his wallet fell out of his pocket. The guy notice the wallet on the floor... He dropped all of the chips and ran back to get his wallet and left the place with only a single handful of the chips. True Story.
Shachihoko
Bokusatsu_Tenshi
Posted 5:25 PM 15/8/08
@UbeWoll working on Eternally Retold: A Soul Calibur Tale: Viral robery campaign? Or viral kidnapping campaign?
On soviet Russia, family kidnaps armed man to save PS3!!!
Bokusatsu_Tenshi
Posted 5:20 PM 15/8/08
is there a chart that shows units stolen. I want to know who is winning the stolen format war, what console has been stolen the most. There have been a lot of 360's and wii's and PS3 stolen. can anyone get some figures? Also, does a system count towards your install base if it was stolen?
Posted 5:20 PM 15/8/08
@: Because every opportunity to tote a news story as evidence of the superiority of one's preferred console should be seized.
Posted 5:18 PM 15/8/08
ah, the PS3, saving the world one family at a time
Posted 5:59 PM 15/8/08
Maybe he just thought he was playing and testing theAlpha of GTA5...and a mission was to rob a gamestore at gunpoint and get away with stealing a gameconsole...all I have to say is...*Bloop* "Achievement Unlocked: 15G - Armed Consolery"
and for you PS3 Fans.... "Trophy Unlocked"
Posted 5:50 PM 15/8/08
lol, what a liar...would you trust a guy with a gun like that?
It's like playing a game, with obviously a hacker and the hacker will also obviously say : I don't hack!
Maniacs with guns lie, hackers lie
demonknightinuyasha
Posted 5:47 PM 15/8/08
the gamestop next to my apartment has gotten robbed fucking twice recently. first the night of MGS4's launch and the second was a more random day. they need like armed guards at gamestop apparently...
demonknightinuyasha
Posted 6:33 PM 15/8/08
very clever of that guy...
Crabfeast
Posted 6:28 PM 15/8/08
Sounds like the plot to the next Harrison Ford movie.
Crabfeast
Posted 6:19 PM 15/8/08
"You kill him, you kill youself; MOTHERFUCKER GIVE ME BACK MY PS3"
PrivateJ0ker
Posted 6:12 PM 15/8/08
This really is a death blow to the 360. Only the PS3 can save your family when they are held hostage!! I smell a brilliant new Sony marketing campaign, this man is a hero!
PrivateJ0ker
xMaverick
Posted 6:41 PM 15/8/08
@: You have to state whether or not it's going to be Bronze, Silver, or Gold.
I'd say Silver or Gold... Platinum is going a bit overboard, Lmfao.
Geez... This is a weird story.
xMaverick
Posted 7:23 PM 15/8/08
Sounds legit to me.
>_>
<_<
Posted 7:19 PM 15/8/08
@Shachihoko:
Dropping the chips would have been smart there... get this... most wallets have IDs in them! Would you rather have all the chips and get arrested and have to give them back, or would you like to get away with what you've got and not get arrested (not that I condone robbery, just saying if I was the one in that situation I would do the same thing).
maraxusofk
Posted 7:15 PM 15/8/08
just maybe, the guy holding his family hostage was forcing him to rob the store for games
maraxusofk
DimensionWarped
Posted 7:37 PM 15/8/08
For the record, I'm not saying I believe it, I'm just saying don't say he is a dick for pulling a gun on someone if it really was to save his family.
DimensionWarped
DimensionWarped
Posted 7:36 PM 15/8/08
And if the possible loss of life of family members isn't enough to justify that sort of action, I don't know what is. Being robbed at gunpoint isn't as bad as being killed.
DimensionWarped
DimensionWarped
Posted 7:30 PM 15/8/08
@Rob:
If I were worried my family was going to be killed by some pscho because he wanted an expensive piece of consumer electronics that I couldn't afford, I'd probably steal it as well, at gunpoint, and have them call the police for me too. It's a much better alternative than paying for it and not having the police get involved until afterwards.
DimensionWarped
Posted 6:07 PM 15/8/08
I'd assume that he was holding his own family hostage, if anything. Hopefully the game he picked out was GTA IV, it feels like too long since we had a media circus about GTA, amirite?
Rubezh
Posted 8:08 PM 15/8/08
The Cell processor can save families. That's how powerful it is.
Rubezh
RageTowers
Posted 8:01 PM 15/8/08
Wow, his family must not be worth much if all the kidnapper wants is a PS3.
I would have at least asked for life savings, personal identity info. Stuff that would be worth more than a $500 machine
RageTowers
Eltigro
Posted 8:24 PM 15/8/08
"Then, the man told the clerk to call the police after he left the store because his family needed help."
Hmm, I bet they wouldn't have thought to do that...
Eltigro
KINGZ
Posted 8:56 PM 15/8/08
WOW good thing the man told the clerk to call the cops, they would have never know about this robbery if he did adviser her on this. ewhho close call.
KINGZ
luigilogik
Posted 8:53 PM 15/8/08
Who kidnapped his family? a twelve year old?
luigilogik
AngryEddy
Posted 8:47 PM 15/8/08
I would have turned the tables on him - told him that my family was being held hostage too, and their captors needed me to get a gun if I wanted them back safely. I'd propose a trade, and then take his gun and simply wait for the law to arrive. He'd be crushed.
Damn fine plan.
AngryEddy
Salen
Posted 9:16 PM 15/8/08
This is how I think it should have gone.
"Only the PS3 can save my family. I'm going to take it to the kidnapper, and bludgeon him with it, because it's like a small monolith."
"But... you have a gun."
"Oh. Yeah, sorry about that. Bye."
"... Oy."
Salen
Colibri
Posted 9:43 PM 15/8/08
Lucky he did not need a Xbox 360 to save he family or it could have ended in a red ring of death!
Colibri
remanance
Posted 10:01 PM 15/8/08
@IHateThisPlace:
Alright. Assuming he WAS telling the truth, I suspect you wanted him to go without a gun and say:
"Hey, please trust me. My family is in danger and I would really appreciate if you could hand me a new PS3 for free, thanks lil' lass."
remanance
wizardofoz85
Posted 9:56 PM 15/8/08
Robber: Give me a PS3!! *waves gun around* Someone has my family and i need it for ransom!!!
GS Employee: *Hands over PS3* ...would you like to preorder Little Big Planet with that...?
wizardofoz85
Smash88
Posted 11:09 PM 15/8/08
Oh so that's why the PS3's having been selling (being robbed) so well. Well this just proves the 360 is still on top :D -_-
Smash88
Day Man
Posted 11:03 PM 15/8/08
Hmm... Did the kidnapper(s) demand the guy *steal* a PS3?
"No, no, homeslice, put your wallet away. Take this snub nose and jack the place. I don't care that Bank of America just raised your credit limit. Go to a store somewhere and steal a motherfargin PS3."
Day Man
remanance
Posted 11:03 PM 15/8/08
Romeloo:
I think it'd be totally awesome if you managed to get a gun out, point it accurately, and shoot the guy holding your family hostage before he...you know...shot your kid.
Not everyone is willing to risk that little factor you know. And we also have to assume that he froze time so he could accurately think about it instead of relying on instincts of keeping his family safe. :\
But again, it'd be totally awesome to see how you pull off saving your family, probably held at gunpoint, with a gun you have to get out first.
Mini rant aside....I think this man's totally guilty. :P
remanance
EmeraldDragon
Posted 10:55 PM 15/8/08
@Suda51: I want to know that too.
EmeraldDragon
Romeloo
Posted 10:49 PM 15/8/08
wait a mintue lets say for a sec this is true. the key thing is HE HAD A GUN!!!!!!!! So are you telling the person who held his family hostage gave hime the gun, which he could've use to save his family
Romeloo
shade-black
Posted 11:34 PM 15/8/08
the ps3 has this power over people. someday we will be ruled by games consoles as they probe our minds and drain our souls...
shade-black
ScytheRexx
Posted 11:19 PM 15/8/08
I think the theatrics were to make the robbery easier. Considering he just took a single PS3, I don't think he was doing it for the money.
He probably came up with the story in order to make himself feel less guilty, maybe to try and make the clerk feel more comfortable. The gun was probably not even loaded.
Not saying what he did was right, he is still a theif, but I don't think this would have ended with a dead clerk if she decided to refuse his demands.
ScytheRexx
zanzibarlegend
Posted 11:17 PM 15/8/08
@Pornosaur: same in NYC! and don't get me started on North Face coats,Jansport Backpacks, and Starter Hats. i stayed away from buying all 3 in my youth..... sad but true story! {X_x}
zanzibarlegend
dreadwing
Posted 12:00 AM 16/8/08
@Colibri
Well played well played
dreadwing
M15ant470p3
Posted 11:53 PM 15/8/08
This may be a little crass, but it's a damn good thing the man didn't say that his family's life depends on the speed and efficiency of a PS3 update.
It's like Speed... but without Keanu and quickness.
M15ant470p3
Frank
Posted 11:41 PM 15/8/08
"Only Wii Can Save My Family!" would've sounded more (anti-)heroic.
Frank
Mact
Posted 12:24 AM 16/8/08
Assuming this is true, I'm trying to contemplate what kind of dumbass would think it would be a good idea to hold a family hostage as opposed to stealing the PS3 themselves.
Because I'm fairly sure the time you'd do for kidnapping would supersede the charge for armed robbery. Especially since, as said already, the robbery probably could have been done without a weapon.
Though, saying this, one thing that I haven't seen addressed is the fact that, again assuming it true, it wouldn't be very likely that a single PS3 would be all that were demanded of him. So expect to see more of these.
Mact
Cheroro
Posted 12:20 AM 16/8/08
Why couldn't the guy have just robbed himself a ps3, criminals are real tards...
Cheroro
DarksouldragonX
Posted 12:08 AM 16/8/08
I'm wonderif he got a copy of battletoads.
DarksouldragonX
figaro1010
Posted 12:07 AM 16/8/08
@figaro1010:
gg doublepost
@akiko1874:
Sure a 'silent alarm' would work. Let's have the police show up and then have a hostage situation.
Forget that-take what you want and leave. Would you like this in a bag sir.
figaro1010
figaro1010
Posted 12:05 AM 16/8/08
@akiko1874:
figaro1010
Human Bomb
Posted 12:37 AM 16/8/08
@Eclectus: Awesome reference.
Human Bomb
vr0oM
Posted 12:36 AM 16/8/08
Maybe the kidnapper sent him on a scavenger hunt.
"In order to save your family, you need to bring me one PS3, a printout of a news article mentioning your name, and 10 Kotaku comments calling you an idiot."
3 birds, 1 stone. This man's a genius.
vr0oM
dae_giovanni
Posted 12:31 AM 16/8/08
I live ten minutes from the strip mall where this Gamestop is located, and what's crazy is that there is a police (sub?)station in the same strip mall... wow.
dae_giovanni
f0cus
Posted 1:10 AM 16/8/08
Obviously a nutjob.
How many people in your fucked up country have guns but not enough money to buy PS3s?
f0cus
mordennight
Posted 1:06 AM 16/8/08
you know considering how fucked up some people can be. I wouldn't be overly surprised if this guy was telling the truth.
mordennight
Paradyme
Posted 1:06 AM 16/8/08
So, it's like the real world Ransom. Except instead of the hostage takers wanting a few million they just wanted a PS3...hm.
Paradyme
GlibGamer
Posted 1:02 AM 16/8/08
I'm amazed at the lack of concern for the employee's life being displayed here. Whether or not you agree with a game store's policies or trade in values (which you vote on with your hard earned dollar), doesn't mean that the employee who was being held at gunpoint deserves these thoughtless comments some of you are spewing.
Some deserve to be disemvoweled.
GlibGamer
evetssteve
Posted 12:06 AM 16/8/08
Did he get caught what the hell happened lol did they find him in his scum bag run down appartment playing jak and daxter giggling and drooling all over his self.
evetssteve
wraithsaviour
Posted 10:20 PM 15/8/08
I'm just impressed that the store had a color camera and well a camera at all. I used to work for them and one of the stores I worked at had 1 black and white camera and it was in a crappy spot. The other store didn't have a camera at all just the black plastic bubble to make you think a camera was in there.
The guy should have done his homework.
wraithsaviour
simi510
Posted 4:26 PM 15/8/08
i wounder what game he got must have been gta4
simi510
Haunted_Coin-op
Posted 4:25 PM 15/8/08
This sounds like something straight out of 24... except instead of an anti terrorist's loved ones it's some nobody in St. Louis.
*Generic Angry Jack Bauer Voice*:
"Dammit, we are running out of time! Give me the PS3 or so help me God I'll kill you!"
Haunted_Coin-op
Cal_Naughton_Jr
Posted 4:08 PM 15/8/08
Wow - could that be the Gamestop in Chesterfield? I've been there half a dozen times. Crazy.
Cal_Naughton_Jr
emeraldgsl
Posted 1:28 AM 16/8/08
I wonder if the clerk offered him a pre-order or a savings car/subscription?
*Clerk: Here's your new PS3
*Robber: Thanks, here's the gun I'm paying with. Only to save my family of course.
*Clerk: Would you like to pre-order any new games? There's a bunch coming out soon. Oh, and they will all sell out on day one.
*Robber: Nah, I'm good for now. I usually buy used.
*Clerk: Really?!? Well we have a discount program that gets you 10% off used and on trade-ins. Come with a 1 year GI subscription.
*Robber: (rolls his eyes) Oh, look at the time, I'm late to save my family. Hostage situation and all, you understand.
End of act 1.
emeraldgsl
mariospants
Posted 1:19 AM 16/8/08
I love it: "I really didn't mean to do this, I have no other choice but I'm being FORCED to steal this PS3 by kidnappers." Man, if that doesn't instill even a tiny bit of pity... I'll bet even if the clerk didn't buy it, he at least had to give the guy props for an interesting story.
mariospants
miniboss1232
Posted 2:20 AM 16/8/08
@B-Minus: Wow. *slow clap*
miniboss1232
grendell
Posted 2:50 AM 16/8/08
Seriously... I can't see the gun in the footage.
Where exactly did he have her at gunpoint?
grendell
I_Hate_This_Place
Posted 3:00 AM 16/8/08
@f0cus: Very few "fucked-up people" have guns legally in our country. As far as not being able to afford a PS3, who's fault is that? The gun-weilder's fault.
I_Hate_This_Place
I_Hate_This_Place
Posted 2:56 AM 16/8/08
@remanance: HIS problem does not excuse his actions. It is HIS problem, so waving a gun in someone else's face is downright wrong, morally and legally speaking. Now, I'm not saying I wouldn't consider the same thing in his situation, but I'm also not ignorant enough to be a bleeding heart and say his ends justify his means. Putting someone else's life in danger (what if the gun went off?) because of YOUR PROBLEM is not acceptable by anyone's standards. So again, I understand his thought process if his situation is genuine, but that does not make his actions forgivable.
I_Hate_This_Place
sayoko
Posted 3:29 AM 16/8/08
Only the PS3 is worth committing crimes for.
sayoko
robinandtami
Posted 4:02 AM 16/8/08
@f0cus: How many people in your fucked up country look at the actions of one kook and decide those actions make some kind of statement about the country as a whole?
robinandtami
robinandtami
Posted 4:01 AM 16/8/08
Good thing his family wasn't being held hostage for a Wii! There are tons PS3's on the shelves of every electronics store in America, but it might have taken the man WEEKS to find a Wii!
robinandtami
Spenze
Posted 4:34 AM 16/8/08
I think this guy misunderstood the slogan "this is living"
Spenze
GlibGamer
Posted 4:31 AM 16/8/08
@f0cus: Good job generalizing everyone in a country based off the actions of one person, especially one who's not representative of the country's ethics. Bravo. Now, back under the bridge with you, troll!
GlibGamer
Y0URGOD78
Posted 4:31 AM 16/8/08
Typical Saint Louis criminal... Stupid, bold, and lazy. Hope the fat fucker dies of dickinthebuttcitis.
Y0URGOD78
icarusprime
Posted 4:12 AM 16/8/08
@Cal_Naughton_Jr:
ummm ... i am pretty sure the post mentioned that it was an EB Games ... so no.
icarusprime
Kikouken
Posted 4:47 AM 16/8/08
He had a gun though.
Kikouken
GoonieGooGoo2
Posted 5:06 AM 16/8/08
LOL....if a family was really held hostage for a PS3......they would probably not be too safe once the kidnapper got frustrated by the slow trickle of good exclusive games are on the system or waiting for WIPEOUT HD to be released.
GoonieGooGoo2
summerdrone
Posted 5:04 AM 16/8/08
@f0cus: Yes, because I'm sure the actions of any single individual sum up the characteristics of an entire nation, whereas as you obviously live in some magical utopia...
@I_Hate_This_Place: Actually, the concept of "the ends justify the means" is the focus of utilitarianism, something considerably more neutral than the "bleeding heart" sentiments you're perceiving. Carrying out such an act for someone else's sake would be considered to be for a greater good, but harming or killing anyone in the process (a definite possibility in such a situation) would not.
Of course, I don't believe the criminal for one second, but the life of the clerk was of far greater importance than a replaceable commodity all the same.
summerdrone
Final
Posted 6:12 AM 16/8/08
If he had a gun and all he took was 1 PS3 and a game he's off his medication. No money from the register and no other consoles he could easily pawn/ fence/ craigslist means his family is probably imaginary or they left a long time ago.
Final
Placentasaurus
Posted 6:30 AM 16/8/08
Why wouldn't the kidnapper just steal the PS3 himself? Assuming that there actually is a kidnapper.
Placentasaurus
robinandtami
Posted 6:22 AM 16/8/08
@GoonieGooGoo2: Perhaps he thinks his family is in "Home."
robinandtami
almostexactly
Posted 6:54 AM 16/8/08
If a PS3 was the only thing that could save his family, does this mean he didn't have the $400 - 500 necessary to buy it legally? Was sticking up the store part of the kidnapper's conditions?
almostexactly
sereal
Posted 7:40 AM 16/8/08
Can't wait till they have huge sheets of bullet proof glass at the counter of a EBGames.
sereal
Ryuk
Posted 7:58 AM 16/8/08
I almost feel he's telling the truth.
I doubt someone pathetic enough to rob a store for a mere PS3 would be smart enough to come up with a con scheme like this otherwise.
Ryuk
M.O.D.O.K.
Posted 10:51 AM 16/8/08
Weren't PS2 parts used in Iraqi missiles? So this guy is using a (backwards compatible) PS3 to guide his homemade missile too.
M.O.D.O.K.
rdj
Posted 12:27 PM 16/8/08
"Hi. My mother got really sick and to pay the hospital bills I needed to get a job but I lost my wallet so I can't pay for cab fair to go to the interview...so I'm mugging you."
rdj
Eltigro
Posted 1:30 PM 16/8/08
Remember the guy that walked into a bank with a bomb around his neck saying that he was kidnapped, knocked out and when he woke up he had a timebomb on his neck and his captors told him to go rob a bank and bring them the money or they were going to blow his head off?
The cops stopped him, had him sit on the curb, and while they were waiting for the bombsquad or something his head got blown off.
There's even video somewhere...
Eltigro
trelantana
Posted 3:44 PM 16/8/08
This PS3 crime is a direct result of their freaky-ass marketing campaign.
trelantana
Wubbytoes
Posted 4:58 PM 16/8/08
Maybe he really really wanted to play the new Madden.
Wubbytoes
Enigma_20XX
Posted 3:02 AM 17/8/08
Soooo... lemme get this straight... you walk into a store... instead of calling the police... then proceed to steal a PS3... Instead of calling the police... claiming that you need it as ransom to save your family... THEN YOU TELL THE STORE CLERK TO CALL THE POLICE?!?!?
Enigma_20XX
Infected_One
Posted 12:07 PM 16/8/08
To everyone who believes the guy: I heard about this story on my local news channel (these articles online are leaving some details out) and needless to say, I highly doubt his excuse is true. You see, in the news, they describe him as being a man with designer sunglasses. I don't remember the brand they said but seriously...DESIGNER SUNGLASSES! If the guy was able to wear a pair of expensive sunglasses, I'm pretty sure that he could afford a PS3 if his family really was in danger. Sure, it would be a bit of a dip in the bank account but wouldn't your family be worth a $500 purchase...?
It just saddens me to think that the world has reached a state were people are willing to kill over something as pointless as a gaming system. All you need to do is save up some money every pay check and eventually you can afford one without it putting you in finical danger and if you really are off that bad, then you don't need a gaming system....All this guy was was someone who apparently wanted a PS3 bad enough that he was willing to put someone's life at risk over it. Is that where society's priorities lay now? Video games come first, people's lives are second?
It also saddens me to think that other people could be right there the whole time but be completely oblivious to what is going on around them. Sure the kids couldn't have done much- defiantly not go after the guy - but you would think that at least one of the three would have noticed that something wasn't right when the clerk and the guy started arguing and he went behind the counter. (I watched the video on the news site.) Then you would think that one of them would have been smart enough to go outside and either go to another store or flag someone down to get help.
So I guess that's the way the world is now: Ignore everything that doesn't involve you and take whatever you want.
Hmmm...Depressing.
Infected_One
MinorSetback
Posted 3:38 AM 16/8/08
That is amazing. I work about 2 miles from there, so I'll have to keep an eye out for a guy with a gun in one hand and a PS3 in the other!
MinorSetback
Deaf Mute
Posted 1:15 AM 20/8/08
@sereal:
Too bad that won't happen since Gamestop doesn't care about its employees. Only the merchandise.
Deaf Mute
Ryodestined
Posted 9:11 AM 21/8/08
If I had a gun for every time I needed to save a family with a PS3.
Ryodestined