Florida Man Shoots At Pokemon GO Teens

Published: July 19, 2016 10:00 AM /

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Pokemon Go Teens Shot At

Just when you thought the news surrounding Pokemon GO couldn't get any more weird; this week a man located in Palm Coast Florida is expected to face criminal charges after shooting at unsuspecting Pokemon GO players.  

As reported on News Journal, the shooting took place at around 1:30am, where the man awoke to a "loud noise" outside his home. After grabbing his handgun, the man went out to investigate the situation where he met the two teenagers, ages 16 and 19. After telling the teens not to move, the pair sped off to their car where the man then proceeded to shoot at the vehicle several times, and then went on to call the Sheriff's department. Luckily nobody was harmed, though their car did receive several bullet holes and a flat tire.

At 10:30am, the 19-year-old's mother contacted the police department where she explained the situation. Flagler County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Troiano said the case is still under investigation.

With this news and the recent reports of armed robberies, the Sheriffs Office issued the following safety tips for Pokemon GO players;

  • Call 9-1-1 immediately when you suspect someone is trying to break into your home
  • If at all possible, be an excellent witness for law enforcement by providing valuable information on what is occurring.
  • Avoid leaving the protection of your home to confront suspects. This should be handled by trained law enforcement officers.
  • Pokemon Go players should use common sense, be alert at all times and stay aware of your surroundings. In law enforcement, we call this situational awareness.
  • Watch where you are going.
  • Do not drive or ride your bike, skateboard, or other devices while interacting with the Pokémon Go app. You cannot do both safely at the same time.
  • Do not trespass onto private property or into any area you usually would not if you weren’t playing Pokémon GO.
  • Understand that people can use your location to lure you to “Pokéstops” so they can victimize you.
  • Take a friend with you.
  • If you are a minor, check with a parent before going anywhere and tell an adult or law enforcement officer immediately if anything happens.
  • Talk to your kids about strangers and set limits on where your kids can go.
  • Be aware of third-party software apps claiming to enhance the gaming experience. Unfortunately, many of these apps allow access to sensitive personal data."

Pokemon GO is currently available on iOS and Android devices.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think this news just serves as another reminder for players to be more cautious? Let us know in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


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| Staff Writer

Super famous games journalist currently based in Melbourne, Australia. When not writing for TechRaptor, Jason is also covering material for Digital Fox.… More about Jason