A college baseball player was shot and killed while playing Pokémon Go at a San Francisco park on Saturday, August 6, the U.S. Park Police told the L.A. Times.
Calvin Riley, a 20-year-old athlete at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California, was looking for Pokémon with his friend in the Aquatic Park, which is close to tourist destination Fisherman’s Wharf, around 10 p.m.
John Kirby, a friend of Riley’s, spoke to local station KGO-TV on behalf of the victim’s parents and said Riley was among a large group of people playing the augmented reality game in the park. “From what we know, there was no confrontation,” Kirby said. "There was nothing said back and forth. It was just senseless … just came up and shot in the back and ran away for nothing.”
Kirby said Riley and his friend noticed someone was watching them but didn’t pay much attention to the person. “When the friend came around the corner, he heard a gunshot, saw his friend fall and whoever did it ran away,” Kirby said.
The U.S. Park Police told the L.A. Times they don’t believe the incident was a robbery because the gunman didn’t take any of Riley’s belongings.
According to the San Joaquin Delta College website, Riley was starting his second season as a pitcher for his university’s team and was studying kinesiology.
It’s unclear if the attack had anything to do with Pokémon Go, but the popular game has been a factor in several dangerous and bizarre situations since it was released earlier this summer. In several instances, robbers have used the game’s “lure” feature to attract players to secluded areas. It has also been scrutinized for distracting people from their surroundings, especially while driving.
