Blame Games

Last night Dateline NBC ran a story on John Allen Muhammad, one of the two accused DC area snipers. The Wizard of Oz was on, so I missed it.

But NBC's promo caught my attention. Here's part of the transcript:

DATELINE HOST STONE PHILLIPS (voice-over): It's one thing to shoot at a static paper bull's eye, quite another to pull the trigger while aiming at a human target. But Muhammad apparently had this figured out, too.

(on camera): Sources close to the investigation have told DATELINE the duo had access to a popular Xbox video game called "Halo."

(voice-over): The game is a chillingly realistic simulation of what it's like to peer through a telescopic sight, line up an unsuspecting victim in the crosshairs and pull the trigger.

DATELINE has also learned that investigators are looking closely at this 1998 feature film, "Savior," about a man who loses his family to a terrorist bomb and takes revenge with sniper shootings. Sources say the movie likely inspired Muhammad and Malvo.

So access to violent entertainment made them do it?

Gotta run, my 3-year-old daughter just threw a bucket of water at me.