Due to a lost game in Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PS4, iOS, Android, Switch & Xbox One), a 45-year-old man threatened an 11-year-old child with murder in mid-September 2018. Further details have come to light, and the man has been charged.
What was the trigger? On September 18, 2018, 45-year-old US citizen Michael Aliperti was arrested. The reason: He had threatened the 11-year-old child severely because he was eliminated by the boy in a round of Fortnite.
Details of the threats: As has now become known, Aliperti allegedly threatened the boy and his family with violence. Via Xbox chat and mobile phone, among other things, the following sentences were reportedly said:
- “I will find you and have a gun with me.”
- “You should watch your back when you go outside.”
In response to these death threats, the boy was placed under protection, and even his school was put on alert.
Prison and fines threatened
What happened to the perpetrator? It has now become known that Aliperti is indeed being charged. He is accused of serious threats and endangerment of a child’s welfare. If convicted, he faces up to one year in prison or hefty fines for each of these offenses.
Divorce is said to be the reason: Through his lawyer, Aliperti continues to cite his difficult divorce as the reason for his outburst. Furthermore, people in online games talk like that, it was never meant seriously.
The police chief is appalled: However, the police chief of the Suffolk County region sees it differently. He stated at a press conference that it personally shocks him how someone could threaten an 11-year-old child with murder. Aliperti’s behavior would give the word “bad loser” a whole new meaning.
Disturbing detail: According to statements from US media, Aliperti is himself a father of three children.
In the USA, there was another violent crime related to games this year:
