A horrible prank accident leads to a YouTuber’s untimely death. A 20-year-old YouTuber Timothy Wilks was filming a YouTube prank video. However, soon it became a prank gone wrong as he was shot to death in Nashville, Tennessee last Friday.
According to Metropolitan Nashville Police Department,” Timothy and his friends approached a group of people with butcher knives for a YouTube Video prank.”
The shooting took place in the parking lot of Urban Air, trampoline, and an adventure park in a strip mall in Nashville’s Hermitage neighborhood. Several families around that place describe themselves as “friendly kids” and “family fun” at the time of the shooting.
Wilks’ friend told the police officers that the “prank” had been for a YouTube video. Thus, a horrible prank accident led to Timothy Wilks’ untimely death.
David Starnes Jr.(23 years) shot the teenage YouTuber. When authorities arrived on the scene, Starnes Jr. claimed he pulled the trigger for self-defense and he was “unaware” that it was only a prank. Police are conducting additional investigating about his self-defense claim and the charge has not been made against David Starnes. So no one in custody over Timothy’s death.
About Prank Video:
Normally, dangerous and controversial, prank videos receive more views. So that many pranksters create dangerous content to earn money and it’s an easy path for fame. Robbery “prank videos” are relatively common on YouTube. Sometimes prank video content includes activities like fake firearms, balaclavas, or getaway vehicle activities.
Even though they fake it with all pre-planned participation and acting, their video garners millions of views.
YouTube bans dangerous Pranks:
Two years ago, YouTube brought new rules about banning dangerous or threatening pranks. Dangerous and threatening videos include fear of imminent serious physical danger, create emotional distress, physical and emotional harm. YouTube videos that include threats with weapons, fake robberies, etc. are listed as an offense. The video-sharing platform usually takes down such videos.
However, this isn’t the first time a horrible prank has lead to a YouTuber’s death. YouTube brought new rules after a new high-profile prank gone-wrong precedent. In 2015, vlogger Sam Pepper prank a man into thinking about his friends. He was later shot and killed. However, the tech giant refuses to take down the video.
In 2017, 19-year-old Monalisa Perez killed her boyfriend Pedro Ruiz. Pedro Ruiz instructed her to shoot him, believing he would stop by holding up an encyclopedia. Two YouTubers died and Monalisa was in jail for six months. Ten months later, YouTube banned dangerous prank videos.
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