In a Boston 25 News segment, reporter Lisa Pappas details a recent armed home invasion on Bickford Road in Braintree, where three young men entered a residence, assaulted a victim, and fled in a black sedan. Police suspect the crime may have been motivated by an online video game, noting that the suspects appeared to know the victim’s name. Security awareness expert Robert Siciliano provides commentary, warning that online gaming communities include both children and adults, and that personal information shared in games can expose children to predators. He likens gaming competition to sports, noting that fights can erupt similarly, and urges parents to educate their children about the risks of sharing personal data and trusting strangers online. The segment emphasizes the need for parental vigilance and ongoing police investigation to identify the suspects.
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On the South Shore, the 3 suspects in a Braintree home invasion still haven't been caught. There they are fleeing the house. Boston 25 News reporter Lisa Pappas. Police say video game may have been the motivation for this crime.
Yeah, and tonight Braintree police are hard at work inside here on any leads, trying to figure out who those 3 suspects are. And what is concerning about this, as you said, is this assault— all stemmed possibly from a video game.
Parents need to know that anybody that their children are communicating with over the internet could be potential predators.
A warning to families after Braintree police say an armed home invasion was likely connected to online gaming. Robert Siciliano is a security awareness expert who teaches people to avoid becoming a victim of a crime, often through the internet.
Online gaming is communities of people worldwide, and those communities worldwide are both children and adults. Adults. And if your child is playing with other children and/or teens or adults, it's likely that they know who your child's name is and potentially where they live.
Braintree Police say 3 young men entered a home on Bickford Road Tuesday night, assaulting someone inside. Police believe one suspect had a gun on his waistband.
Yo, get up out of here!
Police say the victim had minor facial injuries and the 3 suspects got away in a black sedan, possibly a BMW. The suspects appeared to know the victim's name.
When you're gaming, it's a form of a sport. You know, it's competition. And we've seen, you know, in hockey and basketball, even in baseball and football, fights break out. And online gaming is no different.
Siciliano says it's possible a game escalated quickly, but it's alarming to hear about an assault like this that likely stemmed from a video game. He says it's another reminder to parents to be aware of the risks if your children are connecting with people online. Even just through a game.
So parents need to be able to explain to their children that there is risk in online gaming, that you can't give out any personal or sensitive information, that don't just automatically trust anybody that you're playing with because they could be a bad guy.
And Braintree Police believe this was a targeted attack. There should be no threat to the public. If you have any information that can help them find those suspects, Give Braintree Police a call. Live in Braintree, I'm Lisa Pappas for your local station, Boston 25 News.
