A would-be armed robber in Las Vegas attempting to rob a group of people playing Pokemon Go in a park got more than he bargained for when one of the men pulled out his concealed carry and started defending himself.
Pokemon Go is a video game that’s been grabbing headlines for a variety of reasons. Fans the world over are attracted to the augmented-reality game in which Pokemon are tracked down and collected at attractions that are laid over maps of the players’ actual town. Different types of Pokemon are available at different spots around town, and different types come out at night, which has led to an increase in people walking around both individually and in groups at all hours of the night and day.
Well, early Monday in Las Vegas, an armed man who attempted to rob a group of people playing Pokemon Go in a Las Vegas park got into a shootout with another man who had a concealed carry permit.
The game layers actual maps of the players’ location with the game reality, and places Pokemon at important locations. Players visit the locations to collect the Pokemon as well as other game items. The Las Vegas park where the incident took place has become a hot spot for players.
The gunman and his underage driver saw a group of six people in the park with their phones out shortly after 4 a.m. early Monday, obviously playing the game, and tried to rob them. Unbeknownst to him, one of the players pulled out his own weapon and shot him, leaving the attempted robber injured and another of the players with non-life threatening injuries.
Police say the armed man and the young driver drove up to the group in the park and demanded that they hand over their possessions. One of the Pokemon Go players was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, and pulled out his weapon. The two sides exchanged fire.
According to Las Vegas police spokeswoman Laura Meltzer, charges will be brought against the attempted robber and the juvenile who was driving. One of the players was shot in the stomach. It is unclear if the player with the gun was the same one who was shot in the stomach. The man believed to be the attempted robber was shot in the back.
The game has led to some people being vulnerable because of the appeal of walking around to new locations and at night to catch the Pokemon. The Pokemon players may not have been targeted simply because they were playing, but online resources list the location of the shooting, Gary Reese Freedom Park, as a good place to catch a desirable type of Pokemon.
Other news reports have surfaced of people playing the Pokemon game being targeted for robberies. For instance, four teens in St. Louis robbed victims earlier this month after luring them to a specific location using Pokemon Go.
However, other news reports have also surfaced of players stopping crimes. In Orange County, a July 13 story reports that two players were walking around and saw a woman and child running. The players thought something was strange, and realized that a man was continuing to menace the woman and child. The players called the police and stayed on the scene until authorities arrived. Police say the man was wanted for suspicion of attempted murder.
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