Sandy Hook School Shooting Game Attracts Outrage, Outrage May Miss the Point
But creator says it's pro-gun control
A game in which users 'play' through the events of the Sandy Hook school shootings has, predictably, attracted outrage. In particular the mother of Victoria Soto, a teacher who died defending her pupils, has called the game "absolutely disgusting".
The game's creator, Ryan Jake Lambourn, has said that the game is about gun control.
“It’s absolutely disgusting that somebody thinks this is funny,” Donna Soto told Hearst Connecticut Newspapers. “We’re all suffering. All the families are suffering. We’re coming up on December. My daughter’s birthday just passed. It just adds insult to the suffering that we’re dealing with. It’s just incomprehensible that someone would think this kind of thing is wanted.”
One site carrying the game has taken it down.
In the game's 'Historical Mode' users, who take on the role of the shooter, Adam Lanza, first shoot his mother with a glock before going into the school and opening fire on teachers and students with an automatic rifle. As mainstream sites have reported, the game then displays how many students and teachers users have killed, displaying the actual historical statistics below. It has a sombre, bleak tone and ends with the user's suicide as police arrive.
In 'Gun Control Mode', which has been glossed over by several mainstream outlets, players can't get access to firearms and must attempt the killings with a katana. This makes getting a high kill rate much, much more difficult. The credits page for the game includes information on how users in the States can contact their representatives to discuss gun control.
Lambourn's twitter feed has, since the game's launch, been a string of statements defending the game and condemning the US's lack of gun control laws.
If you want to make your own mind up, you can play it here.
The game's creator, Ryan Jake Lambourn, has said that the game is about gun control.
“It’s absolutely disgusting that somebody thinks this is funny,” Donna Soto told Hearst Connecticut Newspapers. “We’re all suffering. All the families are suffering. We’re coming up on December. My daughter’s birthday just passed. It just adds insult to the suffering that we’re dealing with. It’s just incomprehensible that someone would think this kind of thing is wanted.”
One site carrying the game has taken it down.
In the game's 'Historical Mode' users, who take on the role of the shooter, Adam Lanza, first shoot his mother with a glock before going into the school and opening fire on teachers and students with an automatic rifle. As mainstream sites have reported, the game then displays how many students and teachers users have killed, displaying the actual historical statistics below. It has a sombre, bleak tone and ends with the user's suicide as police arrive.
In 'Gun Control Mode', which has been glossed over by several mainstream outlets, players can't get access to firearms and must attempt the killings with a katana. This makes getting a high kill rate much, much more difficult. The credits page for the game includes information on how users in the States can contact their representatives to discuss gun control.
Lambourn's twitter feed has, since the game's launch, been a string of statements defending the game and condemning the US's lack of gun control laws.
If you want to make your own mind up, you can play it here.
Read More Like This