Originally posted by Johnston:
Studies have shown that excessive playing of video games does allow one a certain skill in handling firearms.
A very good example would be the Columbine massacre. In which the perpetrators never had any real firearms training, but too much Doom playing.
Playing video games does not equate weapons handling skills. Looking at "Iron Chef" or "TNA wrestling" does not make you any more of a cook/wrestler (respectively).
see
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Columbine-High-Massacre for latest on Columbine
What playing CS/Doom does to your brain is to make the act of killing more mechanical. Weapon handling skills are more like driving skills, the basics are easy. Anyone can steer a car or discharge a weapon, just point and shoot, it does not mean you will hit your target or not bruise your shoulder or maybe cut your chin (plus one of my men in reservist) couldn't hit a target at 25 m, even after lots of practice.
Playing too much Doom and CS will only de-sensatize you to blood and gore. The kids at Columbine had other weapons handling exposure as well (given the gun culture in that part of the US).
FURTHER ON CLUMBINE KILLERS
Harris and Klebold were fans of violent video games such as "DOOM" (in fact, Harris often created levels for the game; these were widely distributed, and can still occasionally be found on the Internet as the Harris levels. Rumors that the layout of these levels resembled that of Columbine High School circulated but have been debunked as documented on the Snopes urban legends website [http://www.snopes.com/spoons/noose/doom.htm]). Some analysts argued that part of the killers' problem may have been a result of their constant exposure to violent imagery in such video games, as well as music, and movies, theorizing that their obsession with these forms of media may have led them to have trouble telling the difference between reality and fantasy.
It's been publicly revealed that Harris had been prescribed and was taking Luvox (Fluvoxamine maleate), an SSRI antidepressant, at the time of the shooting spree. Some analysts have argued that this medication may have contributed to Harris' actions, as an alleged side-effect of these drugs is a loss of empathy for other human beings, and a correlation is claimed between "school shooters" whose medical history has been made public and use of or recent discontinuation of such medications.