In an ill-fated attempt to prank someone at a Virginia mall, a YouTube prankster sadly found themselves on the wrong end of the gun when their intended target became aggrieved and shot them in the abdomen.
“I was playing a prank, a simple practical joke, and this guy didn’t take it very well and shot me,” From the intensive care unit, Tanner Cook, aged 21, spoke to WUSA9.
Cook has taken “Jackass”-style pranking to the next level with his YouTube channel, Classified Goons; where he plays mischievous jokes on unsuspecting individuals.
Some of these outrageous stunts have included pretending to urinate in stores and beseeching passersby to join in a game of “naked Twister.”
No details were provided by officials regarding the recent escapade of this young individual, which was recorded with some companions close to a Cheesecake Factory at Dulles Town Center in Dulles.
However, the prank did not go as planned for its intended target, Leesburg’s Alan Collie. The 31-year-old man retaliated by pulling out a semi-automatic pistol and shooting the YouTuber in his stomach and liver – an action that caused intense unrest to all involved.
“They were making a video at the mall and trying to have fun with people and this guy wasn’t having fun,” Tanner’s father Jeramy Cook said. “There was a phone that was around him and they were interviewing or talking to him, and he didn’t like it and he pulled out his gun and shot my son.”
According to a report released by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the two individuals involved had no prior acquaintance before this event.
The loud sound of gunshots sparked terror among shoppers at the mall, which had just reopened its doors on Monday after a day-long closure.
Sadly, the incident itself wasn’t captured on video. However, Instagram user @thisismyu5ername documented Colie’s arrest following their act of defiance.
Simultaneously, one of Cook’s acquaintances managed to film the man brandishing his gun and this evidence is now being utilized in court against him.
Colie is facing charges of aggravated malicious wounding, shooting in the commission of a felony and discharging firearms within an inhabited building.
On Monday, the suspect appeared via video at Loudoun General District Court and is due to return for a preliminary hearing on May 3rd. This was reported in an official statement about the situation.
At the present time, he is detained without a bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.
Despite being left shaken and hospitalized, YouTube creator Cook vowed that he won’t let the shooting hinder him from continuing to create prank videos.
Unfortunately, it’s not the first time a YouTube prank has taken an unfortunate turn.
In 2017, a young man in Minnesota tragically passed away after he instructed his pregnant partner to fire at him while he held a book against his chest, perhaps believing the publication could halt the bullet’s trajectory.
