A boy is playing the video game “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” or PUBG on a mobile phone, May 27, 2022. Getty Images/WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP
As reported by The Independent
In Lahore, a court handed down a sentence to a 14-year-old Zein Ali, convicted of 100 years in prison for the shooting of his mother, brother, and two sisters, which occurred after a dispute during a mobile PUBG game on a mobile device. The case was treated as an example of how video games can affect the behavior of minors and the family environment.
According to investigators, Zein retrieved a weapon and opened fire on his relatives, attempting to conceal the crime. He was subsequently arrested by the police.
The court ruled to impose four consecutive sentences of 25 years each – a total of 100 years in prison. The death penalty, provided by law for mass murder, was not applied due to his status as a minor at the time of the crime.
The verdict and its context
This case sparked wide public backlash and again raised questions about the influence of video games on teenagers and the need to strengthen controls on minors’ access to weapons.
The police noted that Zein’s aggressive reactions intensified during moments of failure in the game, which points to the risks of addiction to online entertainment and the psychological pressure within the family.
“under the influence of addiction, when the game became stronger than family ties”
PUBG is an online game in the battle royale genre, where a hundred players compete to be the last one alive.
