Cops at an Atlanta shopping center recently found a box of clothes covered in fake blood – and “Grand Theft Auto in China” promo material. A GameStop employee contacted Kotaku to claim responsibility.
First, the story: According to Creative Loafing Atlanta’s bizarre cop report roundup, a woman at the Chastain Square Shopping Center went to take out the garbage and noticed the box, which appeared full of bloody clothes. The po-po was called to the scene and, after a quick g2g1bet investigation, determined that the blood was some sort of syrupy concoction, and it was accompanied by a Chinese take-out box containing a fake hand. From the cop’s write-up:
It appeared that someone may have used the items to advertise a game of some sort. The reason for this assumption is because I also found a Chinese to-go box with a bloody fake hand inside. On the box, it advertised a game PG SLOT called ‘Grand Theft Auto in China.’
And now, the rest of the story. Or what’s claimed by our tipster, whose name I’m withholding because this person also claims to work at a GameStop. And while I doubt anything remotely resembling a crime was committed here, who knows if they could get in trouble for this.
According to the tipster, their store had made “five gallons of fake blood to use for our costumes and fill a couple of pinatas” for a Resident Evil 5 launch event. Figuring it’d be difficult getting rid of bloody clothes and severed body U31 Gaming parts, however fake, without arousing suspicion, they decided to put “a nearby store” up to it as a gag (I’m assuming another GameStop, but it wasn’t specified). So they sent them the box and wished them luck throwing it away without freaking people out. It looks like someone obliged the pranksters by setting it on the ground next to a Dumpster instead of throwing it inside. Bingo, CSI was called to the scene.
What I want to know is, what the hell was anyone doing dumping fake syrupy blood into a pinata? Isn’t a pinata kind of papery? And porous? And bashed open with a broomstick? Sounds about as fun as Big Red from Saturday Night Live.
Bizarre Crimes from Atlanta Police Reports [Creative Loafing Atlanta]