
Anger flared on the Internet Sunday night after a CNN host seemed to blame video games for an alleged Sunday killing that was posted on Facebook,
Police in Cleveland on Monday were searching for 37-year-old Steve Stephens, who is accused of killing 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr.
During a Sunday panel discussion on CNN, senior media correspondent Brian Stelter encouraged Facebook users not to watch a viral video of the killing.
"There is an element of this that makes it look like a video game because the thing about video games, they are first-person shooters," Stelter explained. "People, they're in a game, the controller is in front of them and they're firing."
"That is how a lot of young people experience weapons and guns, as video games," he added. "Unfortunately, a video like this, it has that same perspective. And yet, it is so real, the blood is so real. And I've seen people online comparing it to a video game."
Twitter users lashed out at Stelter over the comparison.
@Callux @PhillyD @CNN instead of saying that we live in a fucked up world, they blame it on other shit like video games. im done fam— fot (@fot) 1492385120.0
@PhillyD @ChampChong @CNN No CNN, young people in America experience guns by fucking buying them because you have stupid gun laws.— Michael Beveridge (@Michael Beveridge) 1492397379.0
@PhillyD @CNN This is literally the least important thing to focus on with this story.— RickyFTW (@RickyFTW) 1492387335.0
@PhillyD @CNN This is like movies you see people kill each other This is like books you read about people killing e… https://t.co/BVJGLFFfAU— SaviorSix (@SaviorSix) 1492384881.0
However, others defended Stelter, arguing that he was speaking about the viral nature of the murderous video.
@PhillyD @CNN Im wondering if he meant more so why its getting so much traction because the video doesn't seem as b… https://t.co/YwHaLHov16— Dylan (@Dylan) 1492384860.0
@PhillyD @CNN more so making a comment on the fact the video is grabbing so much attention when it shouldnt be and… https://t.co/SBjgBQq5VR— Dylan (@Dylan) 1492384885.0