A YouTuber from Virginia was shot over the weekend while filming a prank video for his channel.
According to the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, 21-year-old Tanner Cook was at the Dulles Town Center mall’s food court on Sunday morning, playing pranks on strangers. Not friends or family — total strangers. Apparently it’s the main activity on his YouTube channel, Classified Goons. During the prank, one of these strangers got agitated and pulled out a gun, shooting Cook in the stomach and liver. Law enforcement and EMS workers arrived at the scene and treated the social media personality before rushing him to a local hospital.
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So scary! Especially since it was in a mall with so many people around!
Luckily police were quickly able to apprehend the suspect, 31-year-old Alan W. Colie, who was arrested soon after the shooting and charged with aggravated malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm within a building. Police reported the shooting was a direct result from the interaction between Colie and Cook. Just horrible!
It’s unclear what kind of prank Cook was pulling on Colie, but a quick look at his YouTube channel gives us a good idea of what kind of content he makes. Some videos like Cutting In Line At The Washington State Fair and Fake Golf Instructor Prank seem harmless if not a little annoying, but continuing on some of the videos get more racy and inappropriate. Some titles include Asking Strangers To Wet My Whistle, Peeing In Stores Prank, Telling People They Look Like Sex Offenders, and Accusing People Of Buying Alcohol For Minors — some of which have sequels or trilogies on the channel. All the pranks take place in public spaces, and the victims of these pranks are most often innocent retail workers or shoppers.
It’s horrible that someone would commit an act of violence against this kid, no one deserves to be shot. But he must realize he was flirting with this kind of reaction telling people they “look like sex offenders.” You pull the tiger’s tail enough times, it will eventually bite — you know what we mean?
Local news station WUSA9 spoke with the 21-year-old from his hospital bed. When asked what happened, he said:
“I was playing a prank and a simple practical joke, and this guy didn’t take it very well. He didn’t say anything to me.”
The victim said his friend got footage of the incident on his phone which is being used as evidence in the case. His dad, Jeramy Cook, also spoke to the outlet and explained:
“They were making a video at the mall and trying to have fun with people and this guy wasn’t having fun. There was a phone that was around him and they were interviewing or talking to him, and he didn’t like it and he pulled out his gun and shot my son.”
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall even told the outlet some shoppers will never set foot in the mall again due to the trauma they faced from hearing gunshots. With America’s horrific track record of shootings, we can sympathize. So sad…
Cook isn’t letting this slow him down, btw. He’s confirmed to multiple sources he’s not going to stop making videos just because of this incident. He says it’s his “passion.” Does it mean he’ll keep annoying strangers? Even knowing they might be scary weirdos with guns? Or has he learned his lesson about that one?
What do U think, Perezcious readers? Let us know what you think in the comments (below)!
[Image via Classified Goons/YouTube]
