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Dulles Town Center Victim Was Making Prank Video When He Was Shot, Father Says
A 21-year-old man who was wounded in a shooting at Dulles Town Center was trying to make a prank video when he was shot, the victim's father told News4. The victim's father said his son was enlisting the public's help to make a video when someone got offended, pulled out a gun and shot him. The victim is part of a group called the Classified Goons, said his father, Jeramy Cook. The group has a sizable following on TikTok and YouTube.
Jeramy Cook says his son, Tanner, who fancies himself a budding comedian, was trying to make a video to build up his fanbase. He said Tanner approached the alleged shooter several times in the mall's food court, trying to get him to do some goofy things for the video, right before he was shot. Tanner remains in the hospital and has had several surgeries after a bullet pierced his stomach and liver.
The victim's father said if the shooter was upset or offended, there were other ways of handling the matter. "OK, you get offended, don't watch the show," Jeramy Cook said. "Move on, turn, go away, whatever, but you don't have to, because you're offended, you want to go beat somebody up or go run them over with your car or shoot them with your gun."
YouTuber Shot While Making Prank Video at Virginia Mall
Man shot, killed while filming “robbery prank” for YouTube, Nashville police say
A man was shot and killed Friday night in Nashville, Tenn., after pulling out a knife during a robbery prank intended for YouTube, police said. Officers were called to the parking lot of Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park around 9:20 p.m., according to a news release from Nashville police. Police said the victim, Timothy Wilks, 20, and his friend pulled out butcher knives and approached a group of people. One person in the group has been reportedly identified as David Starnes Jr, 23. Starnes told police he was unaware of the prank and shot Wilks in self-defense.
Homicide Unit detectives are currently investigating the self-defense claim and no charges have been filed against Starnes. Police say the investigation is continuing.
Man shot, killed while filming “robbery prank” for YouTube, Nashville police say
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I want to be fair about this. I didn't grow up in the Tik Tok generation. Nor the common reality of big social media platforms and the potential to "monetize" your individual brand on the Internet and turn it into a quasi "career" I also understand that when I was growing up, that adults didn't understand the way the current "culture" worked, as I get older, I'm going to start to lose touch with the struggles that young people go through. I will never truly understand many of the nuances that my young nephew is going to have face when he grows older.
I also want to be honest in that, while I can get along with most people if I absolutely had to do it, I'm not a huge fan of the general public, don't like huge crowds, don't like most people period and prefer my personal privacy. In short, I have, like most people, plenty of problems of my own, I don't need other people's drama in my life as well. Not personal to anyone, just am too old and too tired to deal with it most of the time.
But what is up with so many people wanting to be a Tik Tok star these days? To have their own "brand"? I mean there is a level of hostility, meanness and instigation that go beyond basic socially accepted norms. I don't want to be the guy getting old shouting at everyone to get off my lawn. But something is wrong when it appears basic civility loses all sense of reality in exchange for a certain number of clicks, likes, subscribes and shares.
Why would you go to an airport and instigate that someone is trying to steal "your luggage"? In the post 9/11 era to boot.
Why would you sneak up on someone trying to buy groceries or household supplies at a big box store and put a bucket over their head?
Why would you crash a strangers wedding to try to get a viral video out of it? Then gaslight the people there and tell them they are taking it all too seriously.
Why would you approach strangers with a butcher knife as a "prank" and expect nothing bad to happen to you?
I think this is pretty interesting topic to discuss.
