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A Gamergater Is Making Terrifying YouTube Videos About Game Developer Brianna Wu

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Lime

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The developer behind Revolution 60, Brianna Wu, who has been the target of severe Gamergate terrorism to the point of having to leave her house for fear of her life is experiencing this really vile, crazy person. Jezebel did a piece on the situation:

Game developer and frequent Gamergate target Brianna Wu says she fears for her safety due to a bizarre and threatening YouTube video posted by a Massachusetts man this weekend. The man has posted several videos accusing Wu of trying to assassinate him; the newest video shows him standing next to his wrecked car, which he says he crashed on his way to "confront" her.

He's claimed for years to be, variously, a former U.S. Marine or, in his Twitter bio, a former Navy SEAL. He's also said that he lives with his mother and posts frequently about video games. In the past he referred to himself as a juggalo (an Insane Clown Posse Fan), but these days says he's a Gamergate supporter. [...] Connors has denied on Twitter that he suffers from mental illness, but has also written that he has a "past history" of schizophrenia, for which he says he takes medication. His YouTube videos show someone with a number of paranoid and delusional beliefs about various conspiracies against him. In recent months, Connors seems to have become fixated on Brianna Wu.

He also said that he doesn't plan to end the "Wupocalypse," as he calls it: "If you think I'm the type of person to let anything go, you don't know me. It's not just ongoing, it's just beginning... The long-term exposé of the social justice community that I have planned is just beginning. Brianna Wu is just a small part of it." He added, a few minutes later "I will try as much as I can to bring this gaming criminal to justice. I still believe Brianna Wu is responsible for the car crash."

Brianna Wu comments on the situation:

In late December, a video was sent to me of a man brandishing a knife and ranting that he was going to stab me with it "Assassin's Creed"-style. He identified himself as "The Commander," and a Gamergater. To not reveal his real name, I will refer to him as The Commander for the rest of this piece. I've had 43 death threats sent to me in the last four months, but this one seemed serious enough for me to call the cops and immediately file a report.

The Commander's face was fully visible and he regularly tweets using his real name, so it was easy for an acquaintance of mine to find his address. This was passed to me, and I sent it on to law enforcement. Even supporters of Gamergate, uneasy with his threats of violence, contacted me with personal testimony about experiences with him, which I also forwarded.

I thought the response from law enforcement would be quick, but to my knowledge nothing was done. As I waited, I continued to get death threats sent by this man, some telling me he was going to fire guns at me. He bragged about his military experience as a sniper, and described many of the Iraqis he had killed.

On Friday, I was contacted by a friend extremely worried for my safety. A Skype log from The Commander threatening me with the knife had leaked onto the Internet. He was en route to my house with what was described as a rifle. I was contacted by the Boston police who had received calls from other people who had read this man's disturbing Skype log.

http://jezebel.com/a-man-is-making-bizarre-terrifying-youtube-videos-abou-1683221832

I think some of the takeaway from this is the following:

1. How law enforcement needs to take online harassment seriously.
2. Gamergate and the people supporting it and giving credence to its misogynistic conspiracy theories need to back down before this gets even worse than it already has been. They are only fuelling and inciting irrational and unjust hate towards innocent women. This is especially applicable to the popular voices in the movement like Totalbiscuit. I'd probably argue that Gamergate's approval and incitement of Brianna Wu as a target for their hate movement (c.f. their condoning interviews with the guy) probably motivate this guy even further.
3. This is clearly a mentally ill person and he needs help

@Mods: Please lock or move the thread if you do not consider it appropriate or relevant.
 
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