It's all about clicks and likes until someone skins that smokewagon.

https://www.tennessean.com/sto...ashville/4419163001/

A man was shot and killed Friday night in the parking lot of a Hermitage business after a robbery "prank" for a YouTube channel went wrong, according to Metro Nashville police.

The homicide unit is investigating a claim of self-defense in the shooting, MNPD stated in a Saturday news release.

Timothy Wilks, 20, was shot and killed in the parking lot of Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park around 9:20 p.m. When officers arrived at the scene around five minutes later, 23-year-old David Starnes Jr. admitted to shooting Wilks.

Investigators were told that Wilks and a friend approached a group of people, including Starnes, with butcher knives while participating in a "prank" robbery for a YouTube video.

Starnes, who told officers he was unaware of the prank, said he shot Wilks in defense of himself and others, according to the release.

The investigation is ongoing, and as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday, no charges have been placed.

This is a developing story.

And apparently not the first time metro has been out there for a a shooting this week. A brilliant choice to stage a "fake" robbery for his Youtube channel. Below is the shooting/shots fired from last Saturday night. It's an obvious choice to pick that no one there would be carrying a gun, right?

https://www.tennessean.com/sto...rk-teens/2761884002/

A fight outside a Nashville trampoline park escalated into shots being fired on Saturday night.

At 10:06 p.m., Metro Nashville Police dispatch fielded a call from 4331 Old Hickory Blvd. — the address of the recently opened Urban Air Adventure Park in Old Hickory.

Reports were of a fight that resulted in shots fired.

The investigation is ongoing. Police did not confirm any victims or injuries at this time.

Posts on the Hip Old Hickory Facebook page called it a "mad scene" and raised concerns about violence and the possibility of underage drinking.

Stephanie Pederson, who identified herself as the owner of Urban Air, said in a post on Facebook that the incident arose as information about the trampoline park's teen night event got shared and went viral on Instagram.

"And it got out of control," she posted.

"We were fully staffed, had security on site, and shut the doors early due to how many people were showing up, but it was too much."

In a later post responding to questions about underage drinking at the facility, Pederson described youth acting out.

"We do not serve alcohol," she posted. "It was snuck in. Kids were sneaking in when we told them no more. They were jumping behind our concessions area and stealing."

Urban Air owner Stephanie Pederson responds to concern on the Hip Old Hickory Facebook page after a shooting outside the new Nashville trampoline park on Saturday night.
Pederson posted that a fight broke outside inside, "which we do not tolerate," she said, "so we started asking people to leave.

"Outside in the parking lot additional fights broke out and then there were gunshots. Thank God no one was hurt.

"Please know this is NOT something we tolerate. The safety of our staff and our guests is the most important thing to us. There will no longer be any more teen nights, and we will increase security. Urban Air is supposed to be a family friendly establishment and it truly breaks my heart for our staff and our customers that something like this could happen."

Urban Air owner Stephanie Pederson responds to concern on the Hip Old Hickory Facebook page after a shooting outside the new Nashville trampoline park on Saturday night.
Pederson later edited one of her replies, replacing it with a statement from the company.

"The safety and security of our guests and employees are our top priorities at Urban Air. The incident that occurred at our Nashville Park located at 4331 Old Hickory Boulevard is currently under review with officials at the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Our Park has a zero-tolerance policy for violence, and we enforce these strict guidelines. We would like to thank our first responders and our off-duty police officers, hired by Urban Air as additional security on Teen Nights, for their prompt response."

A spokesperson for Urban Air confirmed Pederson is an owner.

Urban Air Adventure Parks an entertainment franchise
Urban Air's new Nashville location, which opened at the end of 2018, is part of a growing entertainment franchise.


Last week, Dallas Morning News profiled Michael Browning Jr., the 34-year-old CEO and co-founder of Urban Air Adventure Parks, who in less than eight years, "has turned a single trampoline park in Southlake into the nation’s largest chain of family-oriented indoor theme parks."

There are 65 Urban Airs across the country, according to the Dallas Morning News. The facilities feature climbing walls, warrior obstacle courses, tube playgrounds, ropes courses, trapezes, spinning-and-flipping bumper cars and trampolines.

An additional 175 Urban Air units are under construction or are securing real estate, according to the news publication.

A year ago, Voyage Houston published a story on Stephanie Pederson and husband Grant as owners of an Urban Air Adventure Park in northwest Houston.

This is potentially a worst nightmare...

Darwin is still presenting awards, I see ...

He's got another candidate.

While this is indisputably a sad event other more cynical persons might nominate Tim for the Darwin Award.

Well, I don't see him being nominated for a Fulbright scholarship anytime soon.

Anybody in on this "prank" needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent; maybe even should be charged with murder. I don't see why this should be treated any different than if they were trying to hold up a gas station and someone was killed.

The South is the wrong place to be doing that type of foolishness.

It was bound to happen, sooner or later.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
Anybody in on this "prank" needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent; maybe even should be charged with murder. I don't see why this should be treated any different than if they were trying to hold up a gas station and someone was killed.

You, my friend, raise that interesting point that makes you go "hmmmmmmmm".

Unless there is more to the story, I hope Starnes walks. No sympathy for Wilks. Even under the best of outcomes, wtf?

I’ve seen these videos on YouTube and OTA tv and thought most of the idiots did this in countries with rather strict gun laws. Kept telling my family that if this shit ever happened where freedom was allowed, said idiot would get smoked for his trouble. Glad to see I wasn’t wrong.

Wilks paid the full freight for being a dumbass. Totally unnecessary but some people will do anything for clicks and likes.

And this is why friends and family never prank me. They know I'm always carrying.


What if he didn't get shot, would they still say it was a prank video?

I haven't seen it reported yet that anyone was filming.

I for one am glad his genes are no longer in the pool.

Hope the shooter is cleared ASAP and is able to continue without issue.

Even if Starnes walks, his life has been affected forever.

YouTube. Ya never heard of this kind of thing happening to Allen Funt on Candid Camera and he pulled pranks all the time.

quote:

There are 65 Urban Airs across the country, according to the Dallas Morning News. The facilities feature climbing walls, warrior obstacle courses, tube playgrounds, ropes courses, trapezes, spinning-and-flipping bumper cars and trampolines.

On the day he turned 12 in 2019, the younger brother of one of our standout Civil Air Patrol cadets signed up. The next day, as part of his birthday party/present, his mom took him and some friends to one of these places. He managed to fall off the climbing wall and hit the concrete. He didn't survive.

Trampoline Park Removing Climbing Wall After 12-Year-Old Falls And Dies

quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
And this is why friends and family never prank me. They know I'm always carrying.


What if he didn't get shot, would they still say it was a prank video?

I haven't seen it reported yet that anyone was filming.

If successful it's street cred... If it fails it's a prank. If it was intended to be just a prank then this was horribly thought out.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.