Atlanta: teen blames GTA for firebombings

08/07/08

Milton police on Thursday arrested three teenagers on 57 felony counts connected to the firebombing of three cars with Molotov cocktails devices one boy said he learned to make by playing the Grand Theft Auto computer game.

...Seven Molotov cocktails were made. Two Mercedes and one Honda Accord were burned, three devices missed their target and one was found unused.

Grand Theft Auto is a computer game series that has been blamed for inciting juvenile crime sprees in the United States and globally, including murder and carjacking, police said.

"This case is another strong example of the serious ramifications that can come from letting impressionable teens play violent video games like this one," Lagerbloom said. "We urge parents to pay particular attention to their children's extracurricular activities and to intervene before it's too late."