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PS4 Shooting Suspect Could Face Murder Charge

By Brett Snider, Esq. on December 04, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A California man believed to have shot and killed another man for his PS4 has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted robbery.

The victim, 22-year-old Ikenna Uwakah of Daly City, was allegedly shot Sunday in San Francisco by Ronnie Collins, 21, who had arranged to meet Uwakah to purchase his gaming console, reports SFGate.

This is the second killing in less than a month over the PlayStation4 since the console's U.S. release.

Killing Over Video Game Console

Collins was arrested Monday for allegedly shooting Uwakah multiple times at an arranged meeting place in San Francisco -- the same location that the two had arranged to swap the PS4 for cash, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Police believe that Collins fatally shot Uwakah while he "sat in the passenger seat" before fleeing the scene.

This case follows a similar shooting in Florida, where two men in their 20s arranged to meet and exchange cash for a PS4. In that case, as in this one, police believed that a robbery attempt led to the fatal gunfight which left one man dead and the other critically wounded.

If Collins was attempting to rob Uwakah when he allegedly shot and killed the 22-year-old, he could be facing a felony murder charge. "Felony murder" charges are available whenever a defendant is alleged to have caused a death while committing any one of several violent felonies -- including robbery.

Since California allows for capital punishment in cases of first degree felony murder, Collins may even face the death penalty if he's charged and convicted. However, California has not executed any death row inmates in almost eight years.

Met Through Online Ad for PS4

Uwakah's father and sister both confirmed that the victim had often used online marketplaces like Craigslist to buy and sell electronics with strangers, the Chronicle reports. Police, however, say the website used to arrange the meeting between Uwakah and Collins was not Craigslist.

Regardless of the site, online ads on sites like Craigslist have been the launching pads for some truly heinous acts. While it seemed like Uwakah was attempting to mitigate some of the risks of "Craigslist" deals by meeting Collins with his girlfriend, it still ended in his death.

Given the recent violence over the new console, potential PS4 buyers might save themselves the risk of death or serious injury by paying the retail price at a brick-and-mortar store.

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