Livestreamer Arrested For College Bomb 'Prank'

[SpankThatSauce]

 

Original Articles: 

Source 1: https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2018/06/youtube-livestreamer-arrested-for-college-bomb-prank-that-sent-panicked-bystanders-fleeing/

Source 2: http://www.dailyuw.com/news/article_6d066344-6540-11e8-8440-7faeb62da9ee.html

Source 3: http://komonews.com/news/local/man-who-broadcast-prank-bomb-threat-at-uw-told-to-stay-off-youtube

Clip from the livestream: https://neatclip.com/clip/pv2dBwoD

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A YouTube and Twitch personality calling himself "Arab Andy" was arrested yesterday after entering a crowded room on the University of Washington campus and playing a message declaring an explosive device had been planted and would soon detonate. At around 5PM local time on Thursday, authorities say a man walked into the room while filming with a phone in his hand and "asked for everyone's attention and a pre-recorded message emitted from a speaker on his jacket".

 

Video from the livestream (which has been taken down by YouTube), shows people running from the room after hearing the recording stating "C4 has been successfully activated, bomb detonation countdown successfully started", followed by beeping and audio of screaming.

 

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Previous uploads show Andy regularly used his livestream to profit off such "pranks", soliciting donations as low as $US3 ($4) via paid commenting systems to play messages of a viewer's choice in public places. For $US20 ($27), he offered to "Scream Allahu Akbar". Yesterday's fake bomb threat appears to have cost a viewer just $US4.20 ($6).

It goes to show the times that we live in that there is a market for this sort of behaviour that people see as 'Entertainment'.

 

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In footage from his arrest (which, again, he livestreamed) it's unclear whether Andy understands the gravity of what he's involved in, telling police at the time, "I didn't do nothing. That was TTS. That was a donation," and repeatedly referring to the arresting officer as "bro".

 

In the technology age that we live in everyday there will always be people who believe that their twisted ideas and actions will be seen as entertainment to someone out there that will pay to watch it happen. My personal opinion is that livestreamers like Arab Andy should be held fully accountable to their actions, if that is being arrested/charged, removed from the livestreaming service they use or in some cases having the financial system they use to gain the money blocked so that there is no monetary incentive for their actions.

 

Edit: Updated Information,

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"Arab Andy" has been identified as Jammal Hassan Harraz. He has been charged with "threat to bomb or injure property." He is being held in custody at King County Correctional Facility and has been denied bail.

 

Edit #2: Updated News Sources and Additional Information

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In court Friday, a judge set bail at $75,000 and set the stipulation that Harraz can't post any more videos on YouTube while he awaits trial.

News Reporter Tweet:

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Judge sets bail at $75,000 for suspect arrested for UW bomb threat. Judge says Jammal Harraz could be a threat to public safety. Bail $75,000.

https://twitter.com/AlisonKIRO7/status/1002678719935205376

[ItsMitch]

Proper twat, that's for sure. 

[Crunchy Dragon]

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"I didn't do nothing. That was TTS. That was a donation,"

Ok, really?

Really??

Really???

 

Like that's gonna get past anyone. It's clear he did something.

 

You don't just walk into a place like that and play something like that. To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised nobody beat the crap out of him. I probably would have if I was there.

[RollTime]

I honestly hope he gets some jail time. That was a horrific thing to do, as someone could have been badly hurt in the chaos.

[Rune]

$6 huh.

[Crunchy Dragon]

3 minutes ago, RollTime said:

I honestly hope he gets some jail time. That was a horrific thing to do, as someone could have been badly hurt in the chaos.

Probably would have been him, if I was there....

 

Not that sneak attacks are my forte, but in the chaos and everything, I doubt anyone would really notice....

[Skiiwee29]

good, I hope this piece of shit rots in a jail cell for a while for terroristic threats. Even if he didnt do it personally, he enabled someone to do it through him. He is just as guilty as the person who paid him to do it on their behalf. Joke or not, This is not acceptable in any form or fashion. 

[ARikozuM]

How about we jail the guy to set a precedent? Oh, wait, the precedent is already set. Let's start fining these guys to the full extent of the law as "free speech" does not protect when inciting riots (can't find the right word at the moment). 

[potoooooooo]

4 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

How about we jail the guy to set a precedent? Oh, wait, the precedent is already set. Let's start fining these guys to the full extent of the law as "free speech" does not protect when inciting riots (can't find the right word at the moment). 

Ideally both him and the person who donated will get charged. The donation wasn't random, it was chosen purposely.

[ravenshrike]

28 minutes ago, potoooooooo said:

Ideally both him and the person who donated will get charged. The donation wasn't random, it was chosen purposely.

He gets hit with incitement to riot, and depending on exactly what was hashed out beforehand the guy donating gets hit with conspiracy and solicitation. Although that depends on exactly what they discussed. If it was just a generic "in public" discussion the donator might not get hit with any charges.

[Christophe Corazza]

58 minutes ago, RollTime said:

I honestly hope he gets some jail time.

 

48 minutes ago, Skiiwee29 said:

good, I hope this piece of shit rots in a jail cell for a while for terroristic threats.

 

45 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

How about we jail the guy to set a precedent?

 

Not sure if time behind bars will add brain cells to this one, but a harsh punishment is justified.

 

The ironic thing though, is that this will be the next guy to complain about how his videos are being demonitized and how it’s so hard to make a living as a creator. These are the kinds of people that are ruining the brand for everybody.

[Rune]

Maybe we could livestream his prison sentence and take donations for making his cellmates do stuff to him.

[dizmo]

Interestingly every single person who was in that room when it happened could sue him. I hope they do.

He likely won't get jail time, but I think a fine is certainly fitting. $20,000 can be quite a deterrent.

 

On another note there's a Go Fund Me for assisting him with his legal fees.

Yeah, let's have this happen more often guys. The internet really has me shaking my head sometimes. It's too good at enabling idiots.

[Heyimjesse]

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That was a donation," and repeatedly referring to the arresting officer as "bro".

 back to the "It's just a prank bro!" 

[Cookybiscuit]

Why did they arrest him? He was just filming a social experiment.

[captain_to_fire]

I guess this is one of those similar situations where one has free speech but can’t slander or yell bomb or fire in an open theatre. 

[sof006]

Glad he was arrested, don't joke about that shit.

[avg123]

As to what I understand:

 

1. He live streamed youtube videos.

 

2.Some of his live viewers donated money in the live stream with comments.

 

4. He used text-to-speech software to play aloud these comments with a speaker in his jacket.

 

5.The comments are usually funny and trolling, trying to get maximim reaction.

 

6.One such comment made the bomb threat and that was read aloud in the university

 

Did he ask the viewers to comment a bomb threat?

 

[asus killer]

4 hours ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

Ok, really?

Really??

Really???

 

Like that's gonna get past anyone. It's clear he did something.

 

You don't just walk into a place like that and play something like that. To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised nobody beat the crap out of him. I probably would have if I was there.

[LAwLz]

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In footage from his arrest (which, again, he livestreamed) it's unclear whether Andy understands the gravity of what he's involved in, telling police at the time, "I didn't do nothing. That was TTS. That was a donation," and repeatedly referring to the arresting officer as "bro".

Wait, he actually said that? I thought the "didn't do nothing" thing was just a racist joke because it makes them sound mentally challenged. I didn't think people actually said it. And on top of that, referring to the police as "bro". He's like a walking caricature.

 

 

3 hours ago, avg123 said:

As to what I understand:

 

1. He live streamed youtube videos.

2.Some of his live viewers donated money in the live stream with comments.

4. He used text-to-speech software to play aloud these comments with a speaker in his jacket.

5.The comments are usually funny and trolling, trying to get maximim reaction.

6.One such comment made the bomb threat and that was read aloud in the university

 

Did he ask the viewers to comment a bomb threat?

Yes, you have understood the situation correctly.

He has a history of doing these kinds of things though. Like the article say, he has offered to shout "Allahu Akbar" for certain donation amounts, for example.

[Misanthrope]

I believe that even for the widest interpretations of Free Speech you're still simply not allowed to cause panics so this is indefensible. As in legally indefensible he just needs to go do a stretch on the slammer and that's it.

[Crunchy Dragon]

11 hours ago, Christophe Corazza said:

this will be the next guy to complain about how his videos are being demonitized and how it’s so hard to make a living as a creator.

Pfffft.

 

When he does stuff like this, he's pretty much asking for it to be demonitized.

[Princess Luna]

Entertainment is see he go to jail for roughly 5 dollars.

[ScratchCat]

NEW: Throw chair at an idiot! Only $13.37!

He only needs to do shout out stupid stuff 374 ($20 per shout) more times without being arrested to pay his own bail...

 

[Froody129]

Tbh in 'Merica and having have done this stuff for a while I'm surprised his body is still lacking bullet wounds