Legal Niches

Attempt to Link Alabama Shooter with D&D

By pete_gallagher

The University of Alabama professor who stands accused of killing three of her peers last Friday is now, of course, linked with a popular role-playing game.

The Boston Herald, citing a source, claims that suspected shooter Amy Bishop was a fan of Dungeons & Dragons and actually met her husband at Northeastern University through an on-campus D&D club. The source told the paper that 'They [Bishop and her husband] even acted this crap out.'

Bishop's husband, James Anderson, described the pair's immersion in D&D as a 'passing interest.' He added, 'It was a social thing more than anything else. It's not the crazy group people think they are.'

The Herald reached deep down to offer the following insight into the topic of D&D and its potential influence on players:

Some experts have cited the D&D backgrounds of people who were later involved in violent crimes, while others say it just a game.

Another Herald piece paints Bishop as slightly unhinged, detailing an incident in 2002 at an International House of Pancakes where Bishop allegedly punched another woman in the face for taking the restaurant's last child booster seat.

Thanks E.Zachary Knight via the Shoutbox!

Full post as published by GamePolitics.com on February 17, 2010 (boomark / email).