YouTuber Says He Got Shot by Man He Was Pranking: ‘This Guy Didn’t Take It Very Well’

Despite the violent outcome of this would-be prank, the YouTuber in question says he plans to continue sharing content to the platform in the future.

April 4, 2023

A 21-year-old YouTuber has plans of returning to the platform after he says he was shot while carrying out a prank at a mall in Virginia.

The YouTuber in question, per a report from WUSA9, is Tanner Cook. The 21-year-old, who releases videos via the Classified Goons channel, was hospitalized after the incident and later spoke with the outlet about what he says went down during the prank gone wrong

“I was just playing a prank, a simple practical joke, and this guy didn’t take it very well and shot me,” Cook said during an interview conducted while he was still in the hospital.

Alan W. Colie, 31, is alleged to have shot Cook during the prank and has since been hit with felony charges in connection with the shooting.

In an initial statement, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it was “investigating a shooting that occurred at the Dulles Town Center Mall” on Sunday.

“One person shot and transported to a local area hospital and a suspect is in custody,” the department said at the time, adding in a follow-up news release that the victim (not named by the department) had been shot in the abdomen. Additionally, police said, “it does not appear” that Colie and Cook new each other prior to their encounter in the food court area of the mall this weekend.

Colie’s charges include aggravated malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm within a building.

Complex has reached out to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office for additional comment. This story may be updated.