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12-03-2006, 07:42 PM #1Web Hosting Master
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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.”
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12-03-2006, 08:08 PM #2Retired Moderator
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What's gay about it?
Steve
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12-03-2006, 09:34 PM #3Web Hosting Master
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Originally Posted by Vortex-Steve
You'd think the store owners would provide security, if there's folks waiting to buy the PS3, and basically sitting targets to theives.• WLVPN.com • NetProtect owned White Label VPN provider •
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12-03-2006, 10:05 PM #4Web Hosting Master
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Originally Posted by Aussie Bob
Wal-Mart failed, but the idiots that tried to rob are the true people to blame. Pathetic fools.
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12-03-2006, 10:10 PM #5Newbie
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This is what happens when demand is sky high and supply is ground low. O_O
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12-03-2006, 10:22 PM #6WebHostingTalk Lover
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Originally Posted by Aussie 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.
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12-03-2006, 10:43 PM #7Web Hosting Master
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I dont blame why the robber shot him or even though of wanting the PS3 in the first place.
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12-03-2006, 11:38 PM #8Web Hosting Master
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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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12-04-2006, 12:14 AM #9Over there
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Wow...just wow. lol
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12-04-2006, 12:16 AM #10Web Hosting Master
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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.Nationhosts, LLC
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12-04-2006, 12:32 AM #11Web Hosting Master
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The Mayor of Seattle (I think) is blaming Sony for the recent "mini-wars" over PS3s.
There's been about 10 incidents like this.
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12-04-2006, 12:43 AM #12Web Hosting Master
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Originally Posted by NationHosts
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12-04-2006, 03:41 AM #13Junior Guru
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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!█ Your reading skill has increased by one point!
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12-04-2006, 04:28 AM #14Web Hosting Master
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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
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12-04-2006, 05:43 AM #15Web Hosting Master
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And sue, the suers, for hurting the Game Company's feelings.
:|
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12-04-2006, 07:28 AM #16Web Hosting Master
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Sony should think of a new brand
PS3: It's really to die for!Caro.Net: Support is everything
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12-04-2006, 08:07 AM #17Originally Posted by Aussie Bob
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".
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12-04-2006, 08:42 AM #18Web Hosting Master
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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.
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12-04-2006, 09:42 AM #19Web Hosting Master
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Originally Posted by mohamoud
I only carry credit cards, cash is too risky.Nationhosts, LLC
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12-04-2006, 09:46 AM #20Web Hosting Master
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Originally Posted by mahinder
why ..i wouldnt..its a few thousands dollars..
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12-04-2006, 10:32 AM #21WHT Addict
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sorry for him
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12-04-2006, 12:44 PM #22Web Hosting Master
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Originally Posted by NationHosts
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12-04-2006, 01:10 PM #23Web Hosting Master
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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
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12-04-2006, 01:25 PM #24Web Hosting Master
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Originally Posted by mohamoud
.....Nationhosts, LLC
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12-04-2006, 01:47 PM #25Web Hosting Master
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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.