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  1. #1
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    Story of man who was shot for a PS3

    http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5125

    On the day of the PlayStation 3 launch, I quickly blogged about this one guy in Putnam, CT, who was shot while waiting in line for a machine. A week and half following the shooting, a reporter from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette investigated further into the incident to get the complete story.



    It turns out that 21 year old Michael Penkala was waiting outside Wal-Mart for almost two days with his three friends who he was paying $75 each to secure additional machines for him. Clearly, he had some scheme cooking if he was planning on buying as many PS3s as he could, but we’ll get to that later. For now, let’s get back to that night.



    At 3:14 a.m., two masked men approached the line. “At that point, I knew what was going on — two kids with bandanas over their faces with guns,” Penkala said. “So I dialed 911 on my cellphone and dropped it into my pocket.”



    “They approached two kids first, and they got 75 cents out of them, and I was the third person they came to. And I wasn’t giving it up for anything,” he said. “So they hit me with the butt of the gun in the face, kind of got me to the ground a little bit, continued to hit me and struggled for my wallet. And I just held on to that pocket and wallet for dear life.”



    And the reason he was so reluctant to pull out his wallet is that he had $2,600 in cash on him at that time, just enough for four PS3 consoles.



    “They emptied their pockets. They didn’t have much, but they listened to them, I guess,” Mr. Penkala surmised. “They wanted me to hand over whatever I had in my pockets and empty that out to the ground and into a bag. I wasn’t going to have any part of that.”



    “I started yelling at them, ‘…Get the hell out of here. I called 911!’ Mr. Penkala recalled. “And they both ran and, after a couple steps, one of them turned around and fired a sawed-off shotgun at me and then just continued to run off into the woods.”



    The two criminals were eventually tracked down and caught by police. AP reports that William J. Robertson, 20, of Woodstock, and Andrew Patnaude, 17, of Putnam, were charged with attempted murder, robbery, assault and other crimes.



    “After I heard the noise and felt the pressure, I slapped my chest and I was like, ‘Oh my God, these (expletives) actually shot me,’ ” Mr. Penkala said. “And I collapsed, and I got back up, and we all ran to the front of the door and knocked on the glass door to get the attention of third-shift workers to let us in.”



    “When they let us in the lobby there at Wal-Mart, I was on the floor coughing up blood and telling the workers to take the wallet out of my pocket and give it to my friends so they could continue waiting in line and purchase the PS3s,” Mr. Penkala said. “For some reason I wasn’t thinking about my wound, I was all about those PlayStations.”



    It gets even better, folks. After seeing the huge demand for PS3 preorders and the thousands of dollars some people were making from eBay auctions, Penkala decided to join in on the scalper strategy. According to the article, he said he doesn’t really know much about the game system, nor is he a fan of it. He was there just to profit from resale on eBay.

    In the end, he got the four PS3s that he set out to get. Wal-Mart even graciously threw in his unit for free, perhaps in a big of a legal sidestepping move. Thankfully, Penkala says he has no regrets from the ordeal.



    “I can’t say that I regret it, because you don’t think in these situations. You just act. You do what you’re gonna do, and you don’t really think about it,” Mr. Penkala said. “I would recommend to people just to give it. Is money really worth your life? Not really … Once again, in those situations, you’re not thinking. You don’t think about it.”
    Gay

  2. #2
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    What's gay about it?
    Steve

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vortex-Steve
    What's gay about it?
    I think he's saying that's bad, really bad. Not everyone associates the word gay with homosexuality.

    You'd think the store owners would provide security, if there's folks waiting to buy the PS3, and basically sitting targets to theives.
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  4. #4
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    Oct 2001
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aussie Bob
    I think he's saying that's bad, really bad. Not everyone associates the word gay with homosexuality.

    You'd think the store owners would provide security, if there's folks waiting to buy the PS3, and basically sitting targets to theives.
    You would hope that there would be some sort of night time patrolling, especially on a large launch like the PS3.

    Wal-Mart failed, but the idiots that tried to rob are the true people to blame. Pathetic fools.

  5. #5
    This is what happens when demand is sky high and supply is ground low. O_O

  6. #6
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    Mar 2003
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aussie Bob
    I think he's saying that's bad, really bad. Not everyone associates the word gay with homosexuality.

    You'd think the store owners would provide security, if there's folks waiting to buy the PS3, and basically sitting targets to theives.
    Hey Bob,

    I have to agree with you that I hope in future releases of any new consoles such as Playstation or Nintendo, Xbox and so on, that there be at least some security for those eagerly waiting to get the system, even if it's just one security guard, I'm sure it would've made a difference for those deciding whether to take the risk or not

    Anyhow, I'm glad Mr.Penkala is well and made it through with his PS3s.

    Cheers
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  7. #7
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    I dont blame why the robber shot him or even though of wanting the PS3 in the first place.

  8. #8
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    This happened about 35 minutes from where I live. The store is literally in the middle of no where: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...t=k&iwloc=addr
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  9. #9
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    Wow...just wow. lol

  10. #10
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    Wow he cared more about the PS3 then his own life.

    If it were me, I'd have had my handgun on me since I have concealment permit, when they ask for my wallet they'll get a big ol' black muzzle to their chest.
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  11. #11
    The Mayor of Seattle (I think) is blaming Sony for the recent "mini-wars" over PS3s.

    There's been about 10 incidents like this.

  12. #12
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    Dec 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by NationHosts
    Wow he cared more about the PS3 then his own life.

    If it were me, I'd have had my handgun on me since I have concealment permit, when they ask for my wallet they'll get a big ol' black muzzle to their chest.
    I am not surprised you have concealment permit from your posts in the Social Issues forum. Anyways that is dumb idea because almost all stores ban guns on there premises. Even if you find a store that allows guns. I bet you don't have to balls to shot someone. They will take that gun and shot you. Everyone who get the permit is one of those people who are scared to use the gun. What i would take with butterfly knife and yes i have used it before.

  13. #13
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    Scary, just scary.

    It just scares me about the fact that there are people who do this, this is by i mean of armed robbery. Just scares me.

    Thats why I only carry around $50 on me and the rest is eftpos, even there there is only what i need for a good night out or day whichever.

    thats my 2 cents!
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  14. #14
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    Wow. One of these days someone will come up with a scheme to sue the makers of the gaming systems for releasing new products -- they cause too many injuries
    Big things coming soon

  15. #15
    And sue, the suers, for hurting the Game Company's feelings.

    :|

  16. #16
    Sony should think of a new brand

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  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aussie Bob
    Not everyone associates the word gay with homosexuality.
    Ah, I see. What then is happy and care free about it?

    These people, scalpers, scammers, spammers, domain squatters...they're all alike, profiting from something while not doing the hard work to achieve it. Despicable, but a fact of life.
    Ironic that they were being preyed on by a "bigger crook".

  18. #18
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    i read somewhere that wallmart don't provide security for its shoppers. Specially in parking lots etc. to save few thousand dollars. This is sad.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by mohamoud
    I am not surprised you have concealment permit from your posts in the Social Issues forum. Anyways that is dumb idea because almost all stores ban guns on there premises. Even if you find a store that allows guns. I bet you don't have to balls to shot someone. They will take that gun and shot you. Everyone who get the permit is one of those people who are scared to use the gun. What i would take with butterfly knife and yes i have used it before.
    Would you take the chance to grab a gun pointed at you from a distance? It's not stupid to know when your life is in danger and I have no problem defending myself under circumstances. Never bring a knife to a gun fight.

    I only carry credit cards, cash is too risky.
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  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by mahinder
    i read somewhere that wallmart don't provide security for its shoppers. Specially in parking lots etc. to save few thousand dollars. This is sad.

    why ..i wouldnt..its a few thousands dollars..

  21. #21
    sorry for him

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by NationHosts
    Would you take the chance to grab a gun pointed at you from a distance? It's not stupid to know when your life is in danger and I have no problem defending myself under circumstances. Never bring a knife to a gun fight.

    I only carry credit cards, cash is too risky.
    STORES DON'T ALLOW GUNS ON THERE PREMISES. So how are you going to take it into a store. Distance are you kidding me. Have you ever been robbed? No one robs you from a distance. They have to make sure you don't make the first move. You will get hit before they even notice. Would you shot or let them hit your first.

  23. #23
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    Wow!

    I'd only carry around about £100 max. Even if I was waiting for a PS3 I'd use a debit card.

    Wonder if there will be so much demand when it's realised in Europe? Should I start saving for 3 PS3s?
    Sean

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by mohamoud
    STORES DON'T ALLOW GUNS ON THERE PREMISES. So how are you going to take it into a store. Distance are you kidding me. Have you ever been robbed? No one robs you from a distance. They have to make sure you don't make the first move. You will get hit before they even notice. Would you shot or let them hit your first.
    Source?

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  25. #25
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    http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...path=News/News

    A teenager accused of robbing a student of two new PlayStation 3s on the day the popular game consoles were introduced was killed by police who had been sent to arrest him.

    Peyton Strickland, 18, was killed Friday at a house he shared with three roommates, New Hanover County Sheriff Sid Causey said.

    "If this boy would've come to the door, opened the door, we probably wouldn't be talking," the sheriff said Sunday.

    Roommate Mike Rhoton said Strickland was unarmed, but may have been holding a video game controller when he went to the door as it was bashed in by officers.

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