Having been released two weeks ago, Pokemon GO has already managed to climb the ranks to become one of the most if not most popular mobile game in the mobile gaming industry. The augmented reality game requires Pokemon trainers to hunt Pokemon which have been superimposed into real-world locations by using a smartphone. Pokemon trainers can capture different Pokemon’s which hide in locations suited to their species. This in turn has caused numerous incidents which have resulted in non-fatal injuries. However, local news reports from Guatemala have reported a teenager being shot to death while playing Pokemon GO, which might be the first fatality related to the extremely popular game.
Jerson Lopez de Leon, 18, from Guatemala, is reported to have been playing the game with his cousin Daniel Moises Picen, 17. Currently, there are conflicting reports of what actually happened. One report claims that they decided to break into a home in Chiquimila, 120 miles from Guatemala City, to capture a Pokemon. While local reports claim that Leon was then shot dead while his cousin was injured. Leon died in hospital while Picen is currently being treated in hospital for gunshot wounds to his feet. Other reports claim that the teenager and his cousin were ambushed while they were walking alongside an old railway line when they were met with a hail of bullets from a passing van. Nearly 20 bullet casings were found near the scene of the murder. Police are currently looking for the driver of an agricultural van which was seen speeding off from the crime scene.
Authorities are unsure of the motive but have speculated that the killers might have wanted to rob the two teenagers. Another speculated motive is that one of the teenagers might have been wanted by the attackers and was located through the GPS on his phone. Leon’s mother, Rosalinda, said she doesn’t know why her son left the house, he was already in bed when his cousin asked him to go out and download a game a few blocks away. There have been an increase in Pokemon GO related incidents in recent days, ranging from someone crashing into a cop car while playing the game, to people falling off a cliff while hunting Pokemon’s.