Who knew violent video games rubbing off on kids could be a good thing?
Police in Maryland have released a video of a seven-year-old who surprised a robbery suspect by hauling off and socking him while he confronted employees of a video game retailer.
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It happened on May 20, when a pair of armed assailants held up a GameStop location in Silver Spring, Maryland. The boy tore into them, but ultimately was briefly held hostage along with other customers and employees.
“The two suspects knew exactly what they wanted to do, and aggressively took over the store,” says Officer Rick Goodale, a Montgomery County police spokesperson.
Local police told WJLA the robbers entered the store just before its 9 p.m. closing last Friday night.
“He pointed the gun and said get on the floor, then he pushed us on the floor,” the boy’s father, who wished to remain anonymous, told local news. “He’s a brave little boy, and he recognized he was in a dangerous situation. And there was a stranger and he was trying to defend himself.”
He says that his son came to him after his father called out that he needed him. The robbers then moved on to the clerks, whom they held at gunpoint. They robbed not only the till but also took one of the clerks’ cell phones.
“He threatened their lives and was pointing the gun at them, so it was a violent crime, no question about it,” the father said.
“Video games can be very expensive. [GameStops] do deal with cash, so there’s a lot of opportunity,” Goodale said.
“As always, our top priority is the safety and protection of our customers. We are working closely with local law-enforcement as they conduct an investigation,” wrote Jackie Smith, a GameStop spokeswoman.
No one was hurt. NBC News, who provided the video embedded above, reports that GameStop is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
