Liberi Fatali
12-04-2005, 06:45 AM
Sometimes, the most entertaining things you can do while playing a game with your buddies involve friendly fire, accidental or not. Unfortunately, friendly fire is much, much, much less funny in real life. This was the lesson learned by South Korean soldier Kim Dong-min who thought it would be a neat idea to throw a live grenade into a barracks, which housed several of Kim's sleeping colleagues. As if that wasn't bad enough, the 22-year-old soldier then proceeded to open fire into the barracks at random. Kim had made complaints earlier about bullying by some of his fellow soldiers.
Reports about the incident indicated that Kim was obsessed with computer war games. His obsessions had blurred the thick line between fantasy and reality. Still, the court declared the the soldier would serve a death sentence.
The 3rd Army's disctrict court ruled: "We can't help separating the accused from society permanently, though we take into account his lack of a previous criminal record, his youth and unease at being in a closed place.
"The victims, bereaved families and surviving soldiers have suffered deep despair and unforgettable damage," said the court. The defense plans to appeal the decision to a higher court.
Apparently, Kim's attack on his fellow soldiers was so violent that many witnesses thought that they were being invaded by North Korea. The barracks that Kim attacked was stationed near South Korea's northern border.
Quem Deus vult perdere prius dementat, indeed.
Source for this is the BBC.
Reports about the incident indicated that Kim was obsessed with computer war games. His obsessions had blurred the thick line between fantasy and reality. Still, the court declared the the soldier would serve a death sentence.
The 3rd Army's disctrict court ruled: "We can't help separating the accused from society permanently, though we take into account his lack of a previous criminal record, his youth and unease at being in a closed place.
"The victims, bereaved families and surviving soldiers have suffered deep despair and unforgettable damage," said the court. The defense plans to appeal the decision to a higher court.
Apparently, Kim's attack on his fellow soldiers was so violent that many witnesses thought that they were being invaded by North Korea. The barracks that Kim attacked was stationed near South Korea's northern border.
Quem Deus vult perdere prius dementat, indeed.
Source for this is the BBC.