Young man 'stages' online suicide attempt ...

[Ammi]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/12/02/article-2516641-19C51F7D00000578-0_634x374.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/12/02/article-2516641-19C51FF500000578-140_634x233.jpg
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http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/12/02/article-2516641-19C5232000000578-940_634x399.jpg

A disturbed young man has shocked North America after he tried to kill himself by setting his room on fire while 200 people watched on an online messageboard.

The 20-year-old identified himself only as 'Stephen' but is thought to be a student in Canada and announced on the anonymous 4chan that he intended to commit suicide and broadcast the event for others to see.

Disturbingly, scores of online users signed up to watch the suicide attempt and helped the man to set up the video stream for the 'an hero' - online slang for suicide attempt

After 200 users had signed up to his video stream, 'Stephen' swallowed a handful of pills and drank vodka lighting a fire in the corner of his room about 7pm on Saturday.

He retreated under his bed as smoke appeared to billow around him.
4chan is an imageboard website allowing users to post anonymously

'As an oldf*g who’s been on 4chan since 2004, I thought I would finally give back to the community in the best possible way,' he wrote on the notorious imageboard.

'I am willing to an hero [commit suicide] on cam for you all.

'All that I request is for you guys to link me to a site where I am able to stream it for you guys.

'Stephen' used the username LOLDoge, a reference to a meme featuring a photo of a Shiba Inu dog that is popular on 4chan.

With 200 viewers - the maximum allowed on Chateen - watching him and even more trying to get in, Stephen downed booze and pills before setting his room alight.

As the camera rolled, he crawled under the bed where he typed: '#imdead #omgimonfire' and
'I’m *****3d'.

The troubling video, still available online, shows firefighters pulling him out of the smokey room.

A number of viewers disturbingly encouraged 'Stephen' during his suicide attempt, while others clamored to view the horrific scene.

One wrote: 'Let's all of us use his photo as wallpaper for one week. He's doing it.'

Another who was frustrated at not being to watch the suicide attempt because the chat room was full wrote: 'Leave someone so we can join.'

Another anonymous user wrote: 'PROVIDE PICS ROOM IS FULL DAMN IT.'

It is not known whether 'Stephen' survived the fire.


YourAnonNews, a Twitter account associated with the hacktivist group Anonymous, reported that Stephen was the fatality in a Spring Garden, Pittsburgh, house fire, cited in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article.


Other users say he is an injured student from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

According to the Guelph Mercury, one person was injured in a dorm room fire on campus.

An anonymous user tonight posted their own account of the incident, claiming 'Stephen' had taken prescription drugs in his dorm room, cheated on his girlfriend, was disowned by his parents and 'in debt for useless degree'.

They wrote fire crews arrived on scene 20 minutes after 'Stephen' lit the fire and he is now injured in hospital.

'Stephen' has quickly become the subject of cruel taunts on the messageboard, being dubbed 'Toaster Steve'



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2516641/4chan-user-sets-live-streamed-suicide-attempt-200-people-watch.html

[Lee.]

That's really disturbing!! Why would people want to watch that?!

[reece(:]

The people viewing and making sick comments really are disturbed....

[Jake.]

He's an idiot and so are the people who attempted to watch and encourage him... sick

[Black Dagger]

Those ****ing morons who watched and egged him on need to get a new hobby, take up swimming or jogging or stamp collecting, ***********s.

[smudgie]

Poor lad.
Just beyond belief that 200 people wanted to watch it all happening and no talk of anybody trying to help him.

[Me. I Am Salman]

4chan is a seriously strange site I'm not surprised

[Lee.]

Poor lad.
Just beyond belief that 200 people wanted to watch it all happening and no talk of anybody trying to help him.

This is what I don't get! What has happened to humanity?

[Ammi]

This is what I don't get! What has happened to humanity?

..I have started to recently think that maybe the internet does desensitise people, not everyone obviously and it's probably a minority...but just the lack of thought that something is actually real and quite disturbing and upsetting..maybe it's a bit like watching an accident/tragedy and taking pics, rather than helping..?..I don't know and I think on forums/sites like this, we're kind of a 'village' and rather protected and isolated from the big 'towns and cities' of the internet...the larger sites where similar and awful things are less unusual...yeah, the story is just really disturbing and tragic..but also that he himself wanted to make 'death into a drama'....have an audience...

[MTVN]

There's a lot of weird people lurking on sites like those

[Jessica.]

Someone on 4chan made this timeline of the night, there's no gore but it's sad obviously.
http://i.imgur.com/KFRyjT4.jpg

[Ammi]

..oh God, he did die..?..

[Shaun]

how odd. and depraved. and a shame. he's quite cute. that's the most important thing to take away from this.

[Niamh.]

..oh God, he did die..?..

Jesus, that timeline Jess posted is really chilling, what a really horrible story. I worry about my kids turning into teenagers with all this kind of thing going on on the internet. What is wrong with people?

[smeagol]

strange way to want to die. never heard of that one before. death by fire not the normal route to take.

[Ammi]

Jesus, that timeline Jess posted is really chilling, what a really horrible story. I worry about my kids turning into teenagers with all this kind of thing going on on the internet. What is wrong with people?

..yeah, I do understand your worry and the really bad/extreme stuff is always reported so it can feel 'everyday' but I'm sure these things are very rare and his mind could not have been healthy...lots of young people lead very 'healthy internet lives'...I know my boys have never had any problems whatsoever...

[Niamh.]

..yeah, I do understand your worry and the really bad/extreme stuff is always reported so it can feel 'everyday' but I'm sure these things are very rare and his mind could not have been healthy...lots of young people lead very 'healthy internet lives'...I know my boys have never had any problems whatsoever...

mmm it's not even just him though, the people replying are nearly more worrying

[Ammi]

mmm it's not even just him though, the people replying are nearly more worrying

..yeah, it's the whole unhealthy environment of what happened in that story..you must have an extremely damaged mind to feel that you want to have a public suicide but are the minds of those encouraging him any less damaged...

[Niamh.]

..yeah, it's the whole unhealthy environment of what happened in that story..you must have an extremely damaged mind to feel that you want to have a public suicide but are the minds of those encouraging him any less damaged...

why would you want to even watch that?, nevermind encourage it, it's so creepy and chilling the whole thing

[arista]

That's really disturbing!! Why would people want to watch that?!


Yes there is a sub load of folks into that

[arista]

Jesus, that timeline Jess posted is really chilling, what a really horrible story. I worry about my kids turning into teenagers with all this kind of thing going on on the internet. What is wrong with people?


They are Lost
not fitting in.


Very Common





Life In The City

[arista]

"200 people watched on a live video stream"


The dark side of Internet

[Ammi]

why would you want to even watch that?, nevermind encourage it, it's so creepy and chilling the whole thing

..by some of the comments when he actually did it, I would like to think that it was an attention thing and that they didn't think it would really happen...it's still wrong to encourage it though, whatever the thought process...that's what I'd like to think though, but I'm not confident that is how it was...

[Natalie.]

Why would you want to watch this though?

[Me. I Am Salman]

There's nothing wrong with watching stuff like this (and other videos of a similar nature you'd find on liveleak) you're not doing any harm, it's just opening your eyes to the reality of what goes on in the world. Videos like this are fascinating and it's human nature to be curious

[user104658]

mmm it's not even just him though, the people replying are nearly more worrying

Well, it's 4chan... it's not the "normal internet" and really never has been (it's been around for a long time). I don't think it's a case of online use "doing this" to normal kids, more that it's a certain kind of person that's seeking out a community like 4chan in the first place.

[Niamh.]

Well, it's 4chan... it's not the "normal internet" and really never has been (it's been around for a long time). I don't think it's a case of online use "doing this" to normal kids, more that it's a certain kind of person that's seeking out a community like 4chan in the first place.

I've heard of 4chan but I don't know anything about it really

[King Gizzard]

it's morbid curiousity, wanting to see it in itself I don't think is so bad, but the ones treating it as some sort of joke/entertainment is a bit chilling

[Ammi]

Well, it's 4chan... it's not the "normal internet" and really never has been (it's been around for a long time). I don't think it's a case of online use "doing this" to normal kids, more that it's a certain kind of person that's seeking out a community like 4chan in the first place.

..is it some sort of 'suicide site' then..?..

[Jessica.]

..is it some sort of 'suicide site' then..?..

No Ammi, it's like a large database of forums/image boards relating to many topics such as travel, japanese culture, cooking, origami, each with a "forum" relating to them, although there are also adult themed boards. There are two boards which are most likely to have situations like this in the NSFW (Not Safe For Work) section, those are /b/ - Random and /soc/ - social. /b/ has no rules and it features a lot of people looking for images containing things such as nudity or gore and other things NSFW usually. When people talk about 4chan everyone automatically assumes that they are talking about /b/ which is unfortunate. :joker:

I might not be 100% correct but this is my understanding of it, I browse /int/ regularly.

[King Gizzard]

Most sites have their morbid/sick parts, even facebook

[Shaun]

yeah /b/ is pretty much all i ever hear about :laugh:

[Ammi]

No Ammi, it's like a large database of forums/image boards relating to many topics such as travel, japanese culture, cooking, origami, each with a "forum" relating to them, although there are also adult themed boards. There are two boards which are most likely to have situations like this in the NSFW (Not Safe For Work) section, those are /b/ - Random and /soc/ - social. /b/ has no rules and it features a lot of people looking for images containing things such as nudity or gore and other things NSFW usually. When people talk about 4chan everyone automatically assumes that they are talking about /b/ which is unfortunate. :joker:

I might not be 100% correct but this is my understanding of it, I browse /int/ regularly.

...like a large Pro Board thing, then Jess..?...I just can't see that it's any sort of natural curiosity to watch something like that, let alone encourage it..it's beyond my range of thinking and reduces my faith in humanity and the essential caring and good in it for a fellow human being and an extremely troubled one...I find watching anything like CCTV when someone is being physically hurt, disturbing/upsetting to the point of feeling physically sick...

[MTVN]

Whenever I've looked on there I can never really understand what's going on, it's all laid out so terribly

[Niamh.]

...like a large Pro Board thing, then Jess..?...I just can't see that it's any sort of natural curiosity to watch something like that, let alone encourage it..it's beyond my range of thinking and reduces my faith in humanity and the essential caring and good in it for a fellow human being and an extremely troubled one...I find watching anything like CCTV when someone is being physically hurt, disturbing/upsetting to the point of feeling physically sick...

yeah, same here

[King Gizzard]

Whenever I've looked on there I can never really understand what's going on, it's all laid out so terribly

yeah, can't get my head around theirs and reddit's layout

[Me. I Am Salman]

oh they do far more than that. they hack websites, make things viral around the internet etc

http://www.dailydot.com/news/4chan-9th-anniversary-top-9-controversies/

[Jessica.]

oh they do far more than that. they hack websites, make things viral around the internet etc

http://www.dailydot.com/news/4chan-9th-anniversary-top-9-controversies/

:joker: All of those things happened on /b/ pretty much.

[HD]

this is so ****ed up on many levels :/

[Livia]

So he didn't die... what a surprise. He's as big a fool at the people watching and encouraging him.

[Niamh.]

So he didn't die... what a surprise. He's as big a fool at the people watching and encouraging him.

Didn't he? I don't think anyone really knows whether he did or not?

[Livia]

Didn't he? I don't think anyone really knows whether he did or not?

I was just going from this: "They wrote fire crews arrived on scene 20 minutes after 'Stephen' lit the fire and he is now injured in hospital."

I'd lay a month's salary he's still alive.

[Niamh.]

I was just going from this: "They wrote fire crews arrived on scene 20 minutes after 'Stephen' lit the fire and he is now injured in hospital."

I'd lay a month's salary he's still alive.

There were a few different reports on it, sounds like they don't really know:

YourAnonNews, a Twitter account associated with the hacktivist group Anonymous, reported that Stephen was the fatality in a Spring Garden, Pittsburgh, house fire, cited in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article.


Other users say he is an injured student from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

According to the Guelph Mercury, one person was injured in a dorm room fire on campus.

An anonymous user tonight posted their own account of the incident, claiming 'Stephen' had taken prescription drugs in his dorm room, cheated on his girlfriend, was disowned by his parents and 'in debt for useless degree'.

They wrote fire crews arrived on scene 20 minutes after 'Stephen' lit the fire and he is now injured in hospital.

[Livia]

If he meant to do it, he'd be dead. However, so few people who demand an audience, who make a phone call, who do it where they're going to be found, really intend to kill themselves.

[Niamh.]

If he meant to do it, he'd be dead. However, so few people who demand an audience, who make a phone call, who do it where they're going to be found, really intend to kill themselves.

Smoke inhalation can kill you in minutes and the room was apparently full of smoke, if he was sitting in a smoke filled room and it took the fire brigade 20 minutes to get there, there's a good chance it would have killed him

[smeagol]

he is still alive. he obviously didn't intend it properly as wasn't a proper fire. and no one does that if they want to die anyway.

happens all the time ,a guy done a similar online thing last month and died. with people telling him to hurry up and do it. but thats the mentality of most of people. its understood that people just aint no good

[Z]

..I have started to recently think that maybe the internet does desensitise people, not everyone obviously and it's probably a minority...but just the lack of thought that something is actually real and quite disturbing and upsetting..maybe it's a bit like watching an accident/tragedy and taking pics, rather than helping..?..I don't know and I think on forums/sites like this, we're kind of a 'village' and rather protected and isolated from the big 'towns and cities' of the internet...the larger sites where similar and awful things are less unusual...yeah, the story is just really disturbing and tragic..but also that he himself wanted to make 'death into a drama'....have an audience...

It's a weird competitive urge I think, some people want to out-do everyone else by doing the most shocking thing they can think of and keep trying to push the limit. Shocking story, can't believe people were encouraging him to do it or that people were even giving the guy an audience!