A Democrat lawmaker from Chicago’s South Side introduced a bill last week that calls for a ban on some video games in an effort to fight the city’s recent uptick in violent crimes, including carjackings.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Rep. Marcus Evans Jr. has called for an amendment to an existing law that would bar the sale of games that depict “motor vehicle theft with a driver or passenger present.”
Fox 32 reported that Early Walker, a philanthropist in the city, said video games like “Grand Theft Auto” could have an impact on young minds. The report pointed out that some of the carjacking suspects in the city are not even old enough to legally drive.
Last month, a 14-year-old boy has been arrested for taking part in multiple carjackings including one involving an off-duty police officer, Chicago police said. Chicago police say carjackings rose about 135% last year to 1,415 and continue at a high pace this year.
While the youngest carjacker arrested in recent attacks was about 12 years old, according to police. The perpetrators often work in crews and are motivated either by joyriding or using the stolen vehicle to commit other crimes.
The report pointed out that the game has been “banned or censored” in other countries. The idea of the legislation is to prevent these games from being sold to children in the state.
A DePaul psychology professor told Fox 32 that these games could play some role in increasing violent outcomes, but are likely not the only factor. Rockstar Games did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Fox News.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
