While games themselves are not the cause of crimes or violence, they can sometimes be a factor in bringing out the worst in people. That said, 23-year-old Owen L., an unemployed son of a well-to-do household in Paris, got into a heated argument with another player in the popular battle royale game Fortnite. According to his family and girlfriend, Owen was known to have fits of rage and aggressive behavior, especially whenever he didn’t get his way when gaming, per Le Parisien. This time around, he took out his anger on an innocent 11-year-old girl out on a walk.
After fighting with another player on Fortnite, Owen was said to be “very angry,” so “he stopped playing and went out to calm down.” According to The Times, public prosecutor Grégoire Dulin stated he took a knife with him before going out with the intention to “mug or rob someone.” By chance, he came upon Louise Lasalle and began to follow her. Eventually, he stopped her and lied, asking for help to look for something he’d lost in the woods nearby.
After they reached a quiet spot where they wouldn’t be noticed, Owen then threatened Lasalle with his knife, saying he was going to “search her things to steal money.” Needless to say, the victim started screaming out of fear, causing the Fortnite gamer to panic. “He pushed her to the ground and stabbed her” 10 times in torso and neck before leaving her to die. Owen was taken into custody as the prime suspect but initially pleaded innocence. Police discovered traces of his DNA on her corpse, leading to his conviction as a murderer. His girlfriend was also arrested and charged with being an accomplice, as she knew about the murder but didn’t report him to authorities.
Hundreds of followers of this news report are in disbelief at how such a deranged individual could exist. “Difficult to wrap one’s head round an adult male, one hailing from wealth, and privileged to have a girlfriend can be so childish as to be unable to tolerate losing a game of Fortnite, a child’s game, even by gamer standards,” commented a bewildered individual. “That would be bad enough but then to brutally murder a young child.”
Other commenters claim that this incident is the perfect example of why the death penalty should be more commonly executed on criminals like Owen. “I think it’s time all western countries brought back capital punishment to deal with the influx of horrendous crimes,” remarks one reader. “Cases like this are exactly why the death penalty is needed,” says a Redditor with a similar opinion. “It’s these deranged cases that are tailored made for it.”
