February 18, 2008 -
The Northern Illinois University campus is still reeling from Thursday's rampage shooting by an apparently deranged 27-year-old man.But that hasn't stopped anti-game violence activist Jack Thompson from threatening NIU with a lawsuit. Over video games.
Thompson e-mailed GamePolitics a copy of a letter that he faxed this morning to the university's public safety department in Dekalb:
Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request production of copies of all documents that reveal Steven Kazmierczak’s play of violent video games, including but not limited to the use of his computer to play Counter-Strike, which he apparently, according to the New York Post, used to rehearse for his Valentine’s Day Massacre at NIU.
The killers in the two worst school massacres in history—in Erfurt, Germanay, and at Virginia Tech University—similarly trained on Counter-Strike to rehearse for their killing sprees.
If I am not provided with this information, I shall bring a civil action to secure these documents.
GP: Frankly, I had difficulty believing that anyone would waste the time of busy investigators and intrude into the NIU community's period of mourning over something as trivial as the video game habits of a grown man. For that reason, I asked Thompson to verify that he had actually sent the fax to the university. His response:
Of course I sent it to them, you idiot.
The NIU investigators have already responded, professionally, and told me they will get me this information in due time. This is how you do this, which you wouldn't know.
I can't vouch for Thompson's version of the NIU staff's response.
Comments
Re: Jack Thompson, Seeking Killer's Video Game History,
i would recon that some, yet most of you would love to do some justice to this guy. i dont want to insult anyone of you awesome Jack Thonpson haters. but i think i would love to go counter-strike is ass, he is nothing but a old hag who has the pleasure to make games so little in violence, that even if something as harsh as a punch happens in any games, it would result in an instant lawsuit.
and as far as i know, you know NOTHING about any of these games, NOTHING at all... Counter-strike?? seriously man, you are the real killer. those masacras have nothing to do with any shootings, you suck and everyone wanst to stab you till you realise that games are for fun, not for a real life training camp
I’m surprised he hasn’t asked for access to the dead bodies, you never know, maybe there’s a copy of Counter Strike or GTA somewhere inside Kazmierczak body.
Seriously though, I cant imagine a more disgusting act following such a tragedy. I’m sure the officials have bigger things to worry about than the demands of a deranged attention seeking man-child.
Prayers go to the families of the victims...
Jack’s obviously learned nothing from the time he tried a similar tactic when he tried to insert himself into the Jacob Robida murder case. He did the same thing too with the Oklahoma mall shooting by threatening the chief of police in a similar fashion; a move that evidently went nowhere or else we’d have heard about it.
As has been indicated, Jack’s behavior could be considered interfering with an investigation; a move which could land him in hot water. Let’s hope Judge Tunis is paying attention. More wood for the fire as it were.
Still, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to warn others about him. Writing the Northern Star sounds good. And someone should help Mark of Cain in sounding the alarm. I think we could do a better job at playing Paul Revere than Jack does! ;)
Anyhow... something interesting has happened. I know that Cho didn't play videogames and the JT's whole basis is an incorrect story on the Washington Post website. But he's been saying it so much that I'm actually starting to believe that Cho played counterstrike... weird...
Why do we still report news on this guy. Mr. Thompson is about as sane as Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. He has become a well known figure only through the publicity he has created in the media. The solution to this problem is to stop reporting news on Jack Thompson. If he sends emails and letters, just don't even post them. This monster has been brought to life only due to his critics. Really, if it wasn't for us, nobody would know who he is, or take any advice based on his opinions.
And any sensible judge will not waste his / her time with such sensationalist claims and immediate dismiss any civil proceedings brought on by John Bruce Thompson to save valuable tax dollars.
----
Papa Midnight
I wouldn’t really joke about that if I were you.
He’s one nut in a whole slew of people, just like the shooters (only not nearly as bad) "
I already publish my opinions on a website... if they wanted to bitch at me, they already would have done it :P.
LOL, instead of moron I thought you said mormon. You confused me.
ok just a bit pissed at this jack hole
My heart goes out to NIU and the family members of those affected. They don't deserve to be propped up as propaganda by the so-called political/moral activists crawling out of the woodwork.
My condolences.
CHO DIDNT TRAIN ON COUNTER STRIKE YOU MORON STOPP SAYING IT
STTTOOOPPPP SSAAYIINGGG IT PLEEEASEE YOU KNOWWWW ITT ISSNTT TRUEEE !!
FFS!!! HE ONLY PLAYED SONIC THE HEDGEHOG STOP LYING YOU COMPLETELY VILE HATE-FILLED, WORD TWISTING SNAKE OF A SO CALLED MAN"
For the record: Neither did Steinhäuser in Erfurt. That was something the press made up: Steinhäuser didn't even have internet so he was not even able to play Counter Strike.
I hope the school goes after JT for harassment. Can the families sue him for wasting investigation efforts? I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't try to contact the families to see if he could represent them in a lawsuit. If they say no he will still "sue on their behalf".
--facepalm--
I can't believe that he is still claiming that Cho "trained" on Counter Strike to pull of the VTech massaacre. Cho was rather unique among males his age in that he played almost no video games. The man is just blatently lying at this point. And it is disgusting that he is wasting the time of those involved with the investigation of this case. Furthermore it is appauling that he is once again exploiting a tragedy to generate irrational emotional support for his increasingly bizzare personal crusade. I just wish that the news media would point out that every credible investigation of media effects would suggest that Thompson's claims are simply ludicrous. The problem is that Thompson is such an insignificant fringe lunatic that most of the accademic community wouldn't even consider him to be worth their time.
Suddenly God drops this right in hiw lap. This is what Jack feeds on, the misery of others. He's like some misery vampire/attention whore who needs a big media friendly massacre to make him feel whole. The pain and attention give him strength an make him feel whole again.
Here is what happens now:
1) JT opens lawsuit against Microsoft, Rockstar, Sony (his faves) for the deaths.
2) JT's suit ignores the fact that the guy was a diagnosed mental case.
3) Lawsuit is thrown out, JT sues the judge, acts like a child, rants about the corrupt games industry.
4) Another act of violence is committed by someone under 40, JT gets a massive erection and calls Fox News to masturbate his ego.
5) Rinse and repeat.
You're Soooooooooo cute when you pretent to be important, Jack :)
Here is the worst part of his actions:
As reported by Gaming Today, John Bruce actually sent a letter to the NIU President asking to be invited to spew his version of what he preceives, in his guttertrash mind, to be the reason for the shooting.
Now he threatens to sue NIU if he doesn't get his way.
Moreover, he LIED straight out about the NY Post story. The story author claimed to interview an old roommate. At NO POINT IN THE STORY did it claim that Steven used the game to train to commit the massacre. Moreover, other intelligent reports indicated that many students in the dorm had played the same game. Yet only one individual committed this act. And yet further, more responsible journalists report that the hard drives are missing from the computers confiscated, or so the last reports stated.
So HOW does he intend to obtain ANY information from those computers?
Also, let us note that he has previously claimed to have had contact with investigators and even DAs in certain cases. Robida anyone? I seem to recall the DA stating that it would have been illegal for any investigator to share information with John Bruce and the DA's office also stated that THEY had provided NO information to him as well.
John Bruce claims to be an "Elder" in his church (Key Biscayne Baptist Church, wasn't it?). I wonder how the leaders of his church, whichever it may be, feel about him lying and deceiving others in the name of his God as well as Mentally Molesting the individuals, families, and the communities that suffer these tragedies just to push his personal, religious, and/or political beliefs? And I don't mean what HE thinks they think. I mean if they know the Truth, The WHOLE Truth, And Nothing But The Truth about his antics and how THEY feel about them.
Nightwng2000
NW2K software
You have more grounds to sue him over that, than he does to sue NIU. The school just went through a tragic ordeal the last thing they need to to go to court over nothing at all. Jack Thompson is such a D-Bag.
Furthermore, Kazmierczak was playing a freakin' video game! He was not training or rehearsing. He was trying to stop Terrorists from planting a fucking bomb at Site A for the sheer enjoyment of the game which he probably played with friends and dorm mates to unwind.
Hey Jacko, try questioning his mental records or social disorders before you attack a legal adults right to play video games.
Not sure what the university would be able to tell him though, I doubt they monitor what games people play. I suppose they might have some traffic logs at most, but what would that tell anyone?
Oh and why is it Jack is frequently so rude? Isn't being up for disbarring message enough for the man? Honestly, he behaves like a petulant teenager... I can only surmise that he doesn't really believe his own rhetoric, after all if all of us were truly trained on murder simulators (sic) wouldn't he be at least a little more courteous? *roll-eyes*
Gift.
Just sayin'.
-P
Please will they just disbar him already, knock him down a couple of rungs, even if he'll never fall off the ladder.
If people really are using games to train before gunning down innocents in public places wouldn't they train on maps accurately modelling the places they rampage through?
Just thinking burden of proof here, if CS and alike really are used to train shouldn't Jack rigorously demonstrate the fact? Otherwise what's to differentiate training from simply playing a game at some point before acting out a tragedy?
Gift.
JT's gonna have one heck of a time trying to prove that Counter-Strike trains anyone to shoot a gun.
The NIU investigators have already responded, professionally, and told me they will get me this information in due time. This is how you do this, which you wouldn’t know."
Kudos to them for responding professionally. Which is more than you're capable of...
I can see it now.
"Dear Mr. Thompson,
We found nothing indicating he played video games,
Have a nice day,
NIU Investigators"
"Dear Jerk-Wipes-In-Pay-of-Child-Molestors,
I said give me the proof! Gimme! You stupid idiots! Don't you know who you're dealing with! Conspiracy! I was on TV! I'll sue! Cover-up! You're all video game players! Admit it! I know the President! He's on my speed-dial! He'll arrest you for not doing your job!
Govern yourself accordingly,
Desperate-man-seeking-attention"
We may not be able to revoke his license as a professional jerk, but any blow to his credibility would be wonderful.