A 21-year-old man claimed he was recording a practical joke for his YouTube channel in a Virginia mall when he was shot in the abdomen by a victim.
On Sunday, Classified Goons YouTube prankster Tanner Cook was in intensive care after a bullet pierced his stomach and liver.
YouTuber remains in a hospital following surgery
Following surgery, he remains hospitalized. Jeramy Cook, Cook’s father, told Insider that his son’s gallbladder was removed during surgery and that he had been taking strong painkillers. The senior Cook expressed optimism that his son will recover.
Cook told WUSA from his hospital bed, “I was playing a prank, a simple practical joke, and this guy took it badly and shot me.”
His father told Insider that a detective on the case told him that Cook’s prank involved Google translate and that Cook was “asking a guy questions with his phone in his face, which he didn’t appreciate.”
Cook’s YouTube channel has nearly 40,000 subscribers, and he frequently posts videos of himself playing practical jokes on unsuspecting members of the public.
His previous videos depict him working behind the counter at a fast-food restaurant, following strangers in stores, and feigning vomiting on Uber drivers.
In previous videos, his victims displayed hostility and even called the police.
But on Sunday, Cook received his most surprising response to date. Alan Colie allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and shot him while he and his friend were filming a prank video near the Cheesecake Factory in the food court of the Dulles Town Center mall.
Read more: Alabama police officer has been charged with murdering his pregnant girlfriend
Colie received multiple hate messages
Colie, 31, was charged with aggravated malicious wounding, shooting in the commission of a felony, and discharging firearms inside an occupied building, according to Cook’s family.
The senior Cook expressed concern over Colie’s reaction to being “offended.”
The father added that he has received numerous hateful online messages from individuals who believe his son deserved to be shot.
However, Cook’s father told Insider that he has forgiven the shooter.
On Monday, Colie appeared in court, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for May. According to the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, he is being held without bond.
Cook was not identified publicly by police, but court documents identify him as the shooting victim.
