PlayStation 4 Online Sale Turns Deadly in San Francisco

[Andy Chalk]

PlayStation 4 Online Sale Turns Deadly in San Francisco

A San Francisco man is dead after an attempt to sell a PlayStation 4 console online went tragically wrong.

22-year-old Ikenna Uwakah of San Francisco was killed yesterday afternoon by a man responding to his online ad offering a PlayStation 4 console for sale. Uwakah and his girlfriend met the prospective buyer in the Bayview District of the city, but the killer took the console, then shot Uwakah multiple times and fled. His girlfriend was not injured.

Uwakah lived with his parents and was a part-time student at San Francisco City College, according to his sister. "He had a lot of friends and a lot of people liked him," she said. "He was a normal kid, just trying to find his way in this world."

PlayStation 4 consoles (and Xbox Ones) are in short supply and high demand this holiday season. A quick browse of online classifieds indicates that PS4 units in the San Francisco area are currently selling for anywhere from $500 to $700, well above their $399 regular retail price.

Police have a suspect in custody.

Sources: SFGate [http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_24635565/san-francisco-sale-video-game-system-turns-deadly]


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[rasputin0009]

Well, if you really want your child to love you Christmas morning, you better be ready to shoot people for a console that plays mediocre at best video games. Because this is 'Merica.

 

[Adzma]

Well clearly the victim and his girlfriend should have been armed. If they had been armed then this wouldn't have happened. Everybody should be armed; mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, babies, everybody! Shooting someone dead over a Playstation is perfectly reasonable.

 

[Roxas1359]

To be quite honest this doesn't surprise me in the slightest, especially since it was in 'Murica, my home country.
Back when the PS3 launched down here in Southern California there were at least 3 people shot in my city alone. All for a console that at the time had no games. It's for that reason that on console launch days I make sure to remain inside.

 

[CriticalMiss]

I'm expecting that a jury will consider this an act of self defence, the PS4 has sharp edges and videogames cause violence after all!

It's quite sad that someone would do this for a $400 luxury item, ruining some peoples lives and potentially facing years in prison if they are caught. But that's humans for you. A life isn't as valuable as the shiny thing you want.

 

[The White Hunter]

I called it.

I knew you'd make this thread about 2 hours after I did.

At any rate it's utterly fucking disgusting.

 

[Ishigami]

And you though the Germans were crazy?

 

[Yuuki]

Putting aside the PS4, this is just a standard case of armed hit & run isn't it? Happens all the time in 'Murica.

 

[krazykidd]

I don't know what to say. The kid got greedy i guess. I mean buying something and trying to resell it for a profit is kind of cheating the system. Not that it warranted death. But it seems to be a case of greed before need .

 

[Jadak]

This is even worse than the people who abuse limited supply to sell items online at higher prices.

 

[Saltyk]

Well, this is just disgusting. I don't care what it was over, it's just pathetic to think someone would do something like this. Not entirely surprising. I think it's for things such as this that pizza delivery men rarely have more than $20 on them. Just sickening that someone would take advantage of this situation and kill a man over anything. I don't care if it was a gaming console, My Little Pony, a TV, or the complete works of Shakespeare and a painting by Michelangelo. This was uncalled for.

May the victim rest in peace. May his loved ones keep him in their memories and move on with good fortune. May the killer get exactly what he deserves.

 

[idarkphoenixi]

During the previous generation this would actually make sense. People often bought those machines in bulk and resold them at a huge profit (often over $1000). It's not unreasonable to think someone would kill for that kind of money.

But for this, I just can't think of a reasonable motive. He can't be wanting to resell it because the PS4's are getting restocked any day now. And maybe I just haven't completely lost my faith in humanity but I find it hard to believe he was willing to commit murder because he was unable to wait for a week at the most.

Conclusion: He's a crazy guy with a gun, no shortage of those lying around in the States. I'm actually a little shocked that those end-of-day's Black Friday mob brawls haven't turned into one big western shoot out.

 

[Zer0Saber]

Yeah, this whole thing is terrible, but never meet someone in a remote area, a mall parking lot or something. Plus this guy who shot the other, I can't even begin to comprehend how someones mind can come up with the thought then action, "I'm gonna kill for a PS4."

 

[Lillowh]

This is tragic. I hate the Grey Market assholes who buy high demand items for no reason to resell them online. I mean, why can't you just enjoy that you got something and appreciate the fact that others have a better chance of enjoying their purchase without you basically running a racket. As much as I hate those people, and hey maybe that was his only Ps4 that he just decided to sell instead at absurd prices rather than returning, but regardless, him and his family didn't deserve this. Maybe being shot and surviving with no complications other than a bullet wound, medical bill, and a fear of buying to resell, but not like this.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Should take that PS4 and hit the shooter in the head with it. Repeatedly.

 

[mechalynx]

Well clearly the victim and his girlfriend should have been armed. If they had been armed then this wouldn't have happened. Everybody should be armed; mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, babies, everybody! Shooting someone dead over a Playstation is perfectly reasonable.

Really? That's where you want to take this right now? Not only is that an incredibly assholish thing to do, but your argument is so ridiculous, it's kind of sad.

Either you missed the heaps of sarcasm and general dismay with the current gun laws in the US or I need to go to bed.

Like the porsters above me said, it seems like a robbery that just happened to involve a PS4. Don't tell me people haven't been brutalized over an iPhone. Hope the asshole will get caught and put away for a very long time, preferably in a hard labour camp.

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

Paypal and UPS/FedEx/USPS are wonderful things. I advise using them if you're doing any online trading. I mean, why meet in person? You're selling a console, not negotiating a hostage exchange. Then maybe that's just a product of my tendency to not trust anyone.

 

[Zero of Arcadia]

This is just sad. It always happens around this time of year, but games can't afford this kind of bad press, whereas no one really cares if several women kill each other over a tickle-me-elmo/barbie 2-pack. It's the scalpers' fault really. Not saying the victim WAS a scalper mind,they never said what he was selling for and I refuse to assume, but those filthy people that buy tons of the stock to sell at an artificial markup are more at fault than, say, Sony. Probably would have let the gunman buy his own system a week ago if some opportunist hadn't decided to purchase a few extra consoles...

 

[Ticklefist]

My violent video gamer reaction: FRY THAT SOMVABITCH!