SRL Archive - RuneScape News and General

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/123264-Jagex-Busts-Teen-for-School-Shooting-Comment

Jagex Busts Teen for School Shooting Comment

A teen has been arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot up his school after commenting in an MMO.

Funny thing about the internet, nothing ever really goes away. While MMO chat usually is little more than irritating banter, things stand out occasionally. When someone chatted "I'm shooting up my school tomorrow" in "an online game through Jagex Ltd" (most likely Runescape), people perked up a bit. Players reported the incident to Jagex, who in turn reported it to the police.

The next day, 18-year-old Thomas Frongillo of Oxford, MA was arrested and charged with "threatening to commit a crime and threatening a bombing or hijacking." He was released on $50,000 bail after his arraignment on Thursday.

The transcript provided to the local police reveal that Frongillo also made anti-Semitic comments and drew a "Nazi symbol" in-game. When another player referred to him as a "Jew killer", he's alleged to have responded "If only." Further digging revealed that he previously talked about shooting a squirrel with a .12 shotgun.

According to Frongillo's lawyer, the words were "a harmless jest", and never intended to attack the school where he has a 3.25 GPA. Frongillo is studying criminal justice at the Anna Maria, but apparently never got to the part about not making terrorist threats online.

The local police searched his home and removed several firearms which were legally purchased by Frongillo's father. He can stay at home while out on bail, but has to stay away from the Anna Maria campus and surrender any other guns he might have, as well as his Firearms Identification Card. He's due back in court April 19th.

Wow..

LoL, should be careful what you say on the internet :s

Daam that is well bad.

Bet having the police thundering on his properly scared him sh**less.

From: Rich
Bet having the police thundering on his properly scared him sh**less.

Definitely. That kid's going to be careful about what he says on the internet from now on :)

Holy moly. That's pretty mental. Gonna be careful what I say.

Serves him right. I hate people who think just because it's the internet, that they can say whatever they want and get away with it.

From: The Killer
LoL, should be careful what you say on the internet :s

Wonder if that goes for user names as well " The Killer" lol

Serves him good! People should know by now….anything you say on the internet is open to the PUBLIC.

If you make a legit threat, that you are going to shoot some place up. Especially after everything that has happened recently!??! your an idiot.

Good job for jagex! They did the right thing for once lol

I also have to say that he should have known better. Very very stupid to even joke about such an act with all the events that have taken place in history. I find it laughable that he was studying "criminal justice" and his gpa is 3.25? Very hard to believe.

The way this was handled was exactly the way it should had been. I really would like to know how the trial will proceed/end, to know whether it was actually planed or it was a "joke", a very dumb "joke".

Too many people believe they are invincible on the internet. Thats not true.

Further digging revealed that he previously talked about shooting a squirrel with a .12 shotgun.

oh so hunting is now a crime? Looks like 13.7 million americans are actively commiting crimes without them knowing in, myself included
(http://www.petersenshunting.com/2012/08/16/number-of-hunters-in-us-rises-for-first-time-in-decades/)

and what in god's name is a '.12 shotgun'?
did this news outlet get a 12 gauge confused with a ~.70 caliber?
I can honestly say ive never heard of a .12 caliber shotgun. Lets see… .12 caliber is about 3mm diamater, meaning this 'shotgun' has a barrel diameter of almost half of a .22 rifle. Now ive heard of 'shotgun' loads for .22 rifle, but not for a .12 rifle.

From: Turpinator
oh so hunting is now a crime? Looks like 13.7 million americans are actively commiting crimes without them knowing in, myself included
(http://www.petersenshunting.com/2012/08/16/number-of-hunters-in-us-rises-for-first-time-in-decades/)

and what in god's name is a '.12 shotgun'?
did this news outlet get a 12 gauge confused with a ~.70 caliber?
I can honestly say ive never heard of a .12 caliber shotgun. Lets see… .12 caliber is about 3mm diamater, meaning this 'shotgun' has a barrel diameter of almost half of a .22 rifle. Now ive heard of 'shotgun' loads for .22 rifle, but not for a .12 rifle.

Yeah but who hunts squirrels? I mean sure a few people do, but maybe he wanted to hurt them which is a sign of psychopathy which can support the need to graduate from killing animals to killing people. In the seriousness of this, all theories must be considered and explored.

The police went and seized his father's guns? What a giant load of rubbish. $50 000 bail??? This honestly is dumb. Kids say dumb things; although the comments he made obviously went too far, how can we progress in society if we live in a constant state of paranoia and fear. Everyone is watching…don't say anything at all.
EDIT:

From: Neznam
Yeah but who hunts squirrels? I mean sure a few people do, but maybe he wanted to hurt them which is a sign of psychopathy which can support the need to graduate from killing animals to killing people. In the seriousness of this, all theories must be considered and explored.

I've shot at squirrels; shot a raccoon multiple times with a pellet gun, my dad has blasted a raccoon practically in half with his 30-30, and just a month ago we took my cousins cat out back to kill it except I missed (12 gauge) and it got away (came back later that week and my uncle finished the job)(the cat had brain problems and peed on everything)(it had to go).
Point is, shooting animals is not a sign of psychopathy.

From: cause
The police went and seized his father's guns? What a giant load of rubbish. $50 000 bail??? This honestly is dumb. Kids say dumb things; although the comments he made obviously went too far, how can we progress in society if we live in a constant state of paranoia and fear. Everyone is watching…don't say anything at all.
EDIT:


I've shot at squirrels; shot a raccoon multiple times with a pellet gun, my dad has blasted a raccoon practically in half with his 30-30, and just a month ago we took my cousins cat out back to kill it except I missed (12 gauge) and it got away (came back later that week and my uncle finished the job)(the cat had brain problems and peed on everything)(it had to go).
Point is, shooting animals is not a sign of psychopathy.

I'm not saying it's a 100% but like my last comment said in these cases all theories must be considered and explored.
The reason people ARE so paranoid, is because when actual school shootings took place there were signs these people exhibited that if recognized could have been prevented. Again not in all cases. No one wants a repeat of terrible past events.

maybe this guy wasn't joking and jagex saved the world from one school shooting.

USA the land of the free!



Anyways i think it sucks what Jagex did….but hey! it's free publicity which is what it was all about in the first place.
Just shows how desperate they are about getting new players.

all I ever did in that game was drop items on the floor that would form indian sunsymbols

especially effective in dungoneering skill where they don't disappear.

Come at me Jagex

The bail is high and seizing the fathers guns in stupid. They should have set no bail until after a psychoanalyst on the grounds of public safety or let the father willing give up guns for bail ect.. For the shooting squirrels thing, I hunt squirrels all the time. It's actually really common where I'm from ( Michigan ) and if they are on my hunting stand I'll shoot them with my 16 gauge, I don't see the big deal with that. Should have had immediate psycho therapy testing. Then consider the other options if they find anything.

From: WinterDream
USA the land of the free!



Anyways i think it sucks what Jagex did….but hey! it's free publicity which is what it was all about in the first place.
Just shows how desperate they are about getting new players.

I really don't think that Jagex reported him to the police because of publicity. They probably just thought it was the right thing to do.

lol Some stupid kids never learn to keep there traps shut hahaha serves him right

not to get onto a huge debate on gun control/etc, but i saw this on my facebook today and had a decent laugh.

Annnyway. Imo jagex did the right thing here, the police/feds actions not so much.

Look how quickly this report was addressed. This proves that fagex reads a lot of the reports but doesnt give a fuck still :D

From: SRLKing
The bail is high and seizing the fathers guns in stupid. They should have set no bail until after a psychoanalyst on the grounds of public safety or let the father willing give up guns for bail ect.. For the shooting squirrels thing, I hunt squirrels all the time. It's actually really common where I'm from ( Michigan ) and if they are on my hunting stand I'll shoot them with my 16 gauge, I don't see the big deal with that. Should have had immediate psycho therapy testing. Then consider the other options if they find anything.

You MONSTER! Jk
I could never shoot a squirrel. I wouldn't mind shooting crows or racoons or some others. I agree with the weapons being taken away was not exactly what should have been done and the bail was set way too high as if he DID commit the act.

From: cause
The police went and seized his father's guns? What a giant load of rubbish. $50 000 bail??? This honestly is dumb. Kids say dumb things; although the comments he made obviously went too far, how can we progress in society if we live in a constant state of paranoia and fear. Everyone is watching…don't say anything at all.
EDIT:


I've shot at squirrels; shot a raccoon multiple times with a pellet gun, my dad has blasted a raccoon practically in half with his 30-30, and just a month ago we took my cousins cat out back to kill it except I missed (12 gauge) and it got away (came back later that week and my uncle finished the job)(the cat had brain problems and peed on everything)(it had to go).
Point is, shooting animals is not a sign of psychopathy.

I'd never be able to put down my own pet lol

From: Neznam
You MONSTER! Jk
I could never shoot a squirrel. I wouldn't mind shooting crows or racoons or some others. I agree with the weapons being taken away was not exactly what should have been done and the bail was set way too high as if he DID commit the act.

Lol up here they are considered pests >.<

Considering making a bot that walks around making threats :o

The kid is insane, why would he say stuff like that… It wasn't even a good joke.

Bail shouldn't be possible. The risk isn't that he runs away, the risk is that he kills people. So either set him free or keep him in till proven otherwise. Stupid capitalistic system let the rich boys run. Either trust him that he doesn't shoot people or don't trust him. Someone who wants to start a school killing won't be stopped by the idea that his dad will lose 50.000….

From: masterBB
The kid is insane, why would he say stuff like that… It wasn't even a good joke.

Bail shouldn't be possible. The risk isn't that he runs away, the risk is that he kills people. So either set him free or keep him in till proven otherwise. Stupid capitalistic system let the rich boys run. Either trust him that he doesn't shoot people or don't trust him. Someone who wants to start a school killing won't be stopped by the idea that his dad will lose 50.000….

This, I mean, c'mon, cant we detain him until we find out if he is crazy?…

From: The Mayor
Considering making a bot that walks around making threats :o

Cause that would be so funny right? *sarcasm*