It's amazing the things people will say when they are on Xbox LIVE. And I don't just mean the typical curses, ethnic slurs, and insults that are frequently tossed about.
One man from Port Alberni, British Columbia in Canada now knows this all-too well, as he listened to a fellow player lament about his academic failings as a high school student. The conversation took a turn for the worse as the student began to detail his plans for taking part in a shooting at his Texas high school the next day.
"The suspect indicated he was a senior at his high school," said Port Alberni RCMP Staff Sgt. Lee Omilusik, "had failing grades and mentioned names of students he was targeting, along with plans about how the shooting would proceed."
When the man from Port Alberni began to press for more details, the Texan teen quickly clammed up. That was disturbing enough for the man to contact his local branch of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who began a cyber-investigation with what limited information they had.
The RCMP contacted Microsoft Law Enforcement Security, who were able to identify the "computer" (as The Vancouver Sun calls it) through a numeric code, concluding that the suspect resided in San Antonio. A call was placed to the San Antonio police department, whose investigation led to the arrest of a teenage suspect who now faces charges.
"This incident demonstrates the power of the electronic world and how different enforcement agencies can quickly work together to protect the citizens they serve, regardless of obstacles such as international barriers," Omilusik said.
"In this case, the suspect was quickly arrested and no one was hurt thanks to the information received from a concerned citizen."
He added that reporting such suspicious activities to your local police department could help save a life.
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