Tuscon Arizona, Blacksburg Virginia, DC, Littleton Colorado, and Paducah Kentucky are just a few places where some of the most tragic and memorable crimes of the modern era were committed. What is the common denominator in all these crimes? They were all committed by a teenager or young adult. The influences have been numerous and the reasons are still debated. The main contributing factor to all this violence was originally thought to be violent video games and the gripping storylines that took place in them. (Grossman, DeGaetano 1999) Upon further investigation, this factor itself was found to be false. Contrary to popular belief, violent video games do not increase violent tendencies in normal, healthy adolescents and children. Many rumors have circulated about possible factors contributing to the increase in violent incidents among young people in schools, workplaces and public places. There have been bills in Congress, policy programs, and even bans on certain games to try to prevent these tragedies. The increase in violence overall in our society, in everything from schools to sports and even the home, can create environments that can affect even the slightest mental instability. (Grossman and DeGaetano, 1999) In the case of the school shooters, Harris, Klebold, Cho, and Carneal all suffered from various untreated and undiagnosed (at the time) mental illnesses ranging from schizophrenia to depression. All were time bombs waiting for the fuse to light. Both Loughner and Malvo, the public shooters, had been involved in numerous violent altercations in previous years and numerous unrelated crimes and acts before the shooting began. "There is no evidence to support the notion that violent video games teach young people how... middle of paper ... Supreme Court takes up case. Communiqué' (0164775X), 39, pp. 11-13. Gonzalez, L. (January 2000). Game Location. Retrieved March 5, 2011 from www.gamespot.com: www.gamespot.com/features/6090892/index.htmlGrossman, DL and DeGaetano, G. (1999). Stop teaching our children to kill: a call to action against violence on television, in films and in video games. New York: Crown Publishers. Kirsh, S.J. (2006). Children, adolescents and violence in the media; A critical look at the research. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Kutner, LP and Olsen, CK (2008). Grand Theft Childhood: The surprising truth about violent video games and what parents can do. New York: Simon & Shuster. Olson, CK, PhD, KL and MD, BE (2007). Children and video games: what do we know? Psychiatric Times Volume 24 Number 12. Shecter, H. P. (2005). Wild Pastimes: A Cultural History of Violent Entertainment. Saint-Martin Press.