Tanner Cook, a prank YouTuber, testifies about the incident that got him shot while trying to film his latest content at a mall in northern Virginia.
The YouTuber's prank videos were also known to security guards at Dulles Town Center and he was also known to law enforcement. The sheriff's deputy who found Cook shot and bleeding outside of the mall last month said that he immediately recognized the YouTuber.
Sudden Shooting
However, the individual's pranks were relatively unfamiliar, confusing, and frustrating to Alan Colie. He was the man who was charged with shooting Cook while the latter and his team surrounded the former last month for their latest prank video.
The YouTuber, who has more than 50,000 subscribers to his "Classified Goons" prank channel on the video-sharing platform, testified for the first time on Wednesday. He spoke about the shooting inside the mall that prompted a massive police response and panic from callers reporting an active shooter, as per the Associated Press.
The 21-year-old YouTuber acknowledged that he and a cohort approached Colie at the food court of the mall while two other individuals filmed the prank a short distance away. Cook described the joke as playing "funny words" on a Google translate app and watching the unsuspecting man's confused reaction.
In cross-examination during the trial, the prank YouTuber acknowledged that he stuck his phone a short distance away, roughly six inches, from Colie's face. The mobile device had a translation app open that repeated the phrase "Hey dips***, stop thinking about my sparkle" in English and Spanish.
This prompted Colie to back away from Cook, who kept getting closer to him even despite the former saying "no" and "stop" and pushing the YouTuber's arm away. The prankster said that Colie suddenly pulled out a handgun and shot him in the abdomen.
Court Hearing
In a courtroom setting, video footage was played that showed the confrontation between Cook and Colie at the mall. On Thursday, a jury reached a verdict of not guilty for the 31-year-old food delivery driver over the charge of aggravated malicious wounding of the YouTuber. The decision was made after hearing arguments and defense in the case, according to the Hindustan Times.
However, the jury was divided on two lesser charges against Colie related to firearms and they ultimately convicted him on one count and acquitted him on the other. The verdict was handed after prosecutors argued that Colie used his firearm in a situation that did not warrant such extreme measures, characterizing the incident as simply a cellphone fight.
Jury's Decision
The jury's decision leaned in favor of Colie's self-defense assertion, which is a claim that is typically reserved for individuals who can demonstrate a reasonable belief that they faced imminent and severe physical harm.
After the incident and the trial, Cook and his relatives reacted to the jury's verdict on Colie's charges. The YouTuber's mother said that they respected the decision, noting that she was grateful that her son was still alive.
What is Cook Doing Now?
On the other hand, Cook was later asked to comment on the content that he created and questions whether or not he would continue to make similar videos. He said that he would probably make new content in the future but ultimately said that at the end of the day, it is "god's plan," said SportsKeeda.
