Acts of violence have long been blamed on the influence of violent video games, but a new story of a boy who brought multiple weapons to school in Orlando, Fla. has an a more unlikely alleged culprit. Instead of Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto, some are crediting the sandbox game Minecraft as the cause for the boy's behavior.
WFTV reports that an unnamed 9-year-old boy who attended elementary school in Hunter's Creek was sentenced to home confinement on Sept. 27 for possession of a firearm on school grounds, possession of a concealed weapon and possession of a firearm by a minor.
The boy reportedly brought an "unloaded handgun, a magazine with six bullets inside, a steak knife and small-handled sledge hammer" to school, where he then told three friends about the weapons. The weapons reportedly belonged to the boy's father.
The boy's friends then notified a school security officer, who immediately isolated the boy and checked his bags, where the weapons were found. The police were called and nobody was injured during the incident.
The boy's father blames Minecraft, the popular indie game from Mojang that has sold millions, for encouraging his son to bring these weapons. According to WFTV, the father describes Minecraft as a game where "They use hammers to dig and knives and guns to protect themselves from zombies..."
It should be noted that, while certain modes in Minecraft (which is rated E10+) does feature players fighting zombie-like creatures, guns are not involved in the game, and players use a pickax to dig for minerals and other building materials, not hammers. The more popular modes found in Minecraft allow users to build their own creations without the threat of evil creatures potentially destroying their works.
The child was sentenced to an unknown period of home confinement, with the judge ordering the boy's parents to keep any and all weapons away from him. Presumably, his Minecraft privileges will also be taken away.
It should be noted that a 2011 Supreme Court decision found that there is no conclusive causal connection between real-life acts of violence and violent video games.