Gamers call for online cease fire Friday

Online gamers across the world will put down their virtual weapons for the day Friday in a show of support to the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting.

The “day of cease fire,” was proposed by GamerFitNation Inc’s CEO Antwand Pearman, and calls for players to stop playing online shooting games like Call of Duty on Friday.

On the Facebook page for the event, the organizers say clearly, “we are not blaming video games!”

“We are simply making a statement that we as Gamers are not going to sit back and ignore the lives that were lost. Instead we will embace (sic) the families with our love and support,” Pearman said on Facebook.

Word of the cease fire spread across social media, including Twitter using hashtag #OSCeasefire, Facebook, Reddit and video game discussion communities, starting Monday.

A source told Hearst Connecticut News that investigators found video games and other electronics during their search of Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza’s Newtown home. British newspaper The Sun reported Tuesday that Adam “lived in the basement,” and played video games there, including Call of Duty.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman spoke about violent video games on Fox News Tuesday.

“The violence in the entertainment culture, particularly with the extraordinary realism to video games and movies now, does cause vulnerable young men, particularly, to be more violent,” Lieberman said.

Tom Cleary