Teen accused in Bandar Utama school killing diagnosed with early-onset schizophrenia and viewed others as ‘non-player characters’
PETALING JAYA, Sept 23 — The 15-year-old boy who killed his female schoolmate at a secondary school in Bandar Utam...
According to the Shah Alam High Court, the 15-year-old accused in the Bandar Utama school killing had come to view his female schoolmate and those around him as "non-player characters" (NPCs) in gaming terminology. This view was disclosed in a psychiatric report prepared by Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony, who highlighted the existence of a "Death Note" journal on the accused's mobile phone.
In the journal, written in Mandarin, the accused repeatedly referred to the deceased while chronicling his disturbing and psychotic thoughts. The journal contained entries six months before the murder that showed persecutory beliefs, a wish for mass casualties, and a conviction that others would lie to the police to make the accused appear at fault.
The report also noted the accused's dehumanisation of his schoolmates, adopting the term NPC to describe them as subhuman and valueless game objects. Additionally, the report highlighted the accused's grandiose delusion of becoming Kira, a vigilante from the video game Death Note, and his identification with mass killers as role models.
The psychiatric report further revealed a strong family history of mental illness and the worsening of the accused's situation over several years due to exposure to the internet, video games, and anime.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
