The world’s gotten quite bizarre since Pokémon GO was unleashed on the masses – first, the international launch was paused due to massive server failures, then an unlucky player in Wyoming stumbled across body while hunting for Pokémon, and now it seems that robbers in Missouri used the game to lure in their victims.
According to a press release on the O’Fallon, Missouri Police Department Facebook page, officers responded to an armed robbery at approximately 2 AM Saturday morning, and later located four suspects “occupying a black BMW.” The officers also recovered a handgun.
These suspects are suspected of multiple armed robberies both in St. Louis and St. Charles Counties. It is believed these suspects targeted their victims through the Pokemon Go smartphone application.
The authorities believe that the suspects set up a Pokéstop – a sort of beacon within the game – and waited for players to show up. Players are easy to spot, after all – who else stands around in the middle of an empty parking lot?
An update featuring mugshots and names was posted approximately 10 hours later – all three adult suspects were charged with Robbery 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action, with bond set at $100,000.
If anything, the comments section is mildly hilarious, as the social media manager for the police explains over and over exactly how and why the victims were lured in.
Let this be another lesson on the most important rule of Pokémon GO – pay attention to your surroundings!