The defense for 17-year-old Daniel Petric of Ohio has argued that he was insane when he killed his mother and shot his father after they took away his copy of video game Halo 3 – an insanity caused by his addiction to the game.
But the judge in the case has refused that plea, saying his acts were pre-meditated. Because of that, Petric has been tried as an adult, and could face life in prison without parole.
The event occurred in October 2007, when Petric used his father’s key to open the lockbox that contained the game, removing both it at a 9mm pistol.
According to his father Mark, Petric asked his parents to close their eyes, saying he had a surprise for them. He then began shooting, killing his mother and wounding his father in the head.
AP reports that Microsoft, the company behind the Xbox game, would only comment:
"We are aware of the situation and it is a tragic case."
