Video of YouTuber prank reveals moments leading up to Dulles Town Center shooting
In the final moments of a video obtained by NBC Washington, delivery driver Alan Colie, 31, is seen in a tense interaction with Cook — who runs the “Classified Goons” YouTube channel — back in April.
The video appears to show Cook recording and planning pieces of a video for nearly five minutes before Cook nears Colie’s face with a phone camera. Colie can be seen pushing Cook away from his face after telling him to stop what he was doing three times. After the third time, Colie can be seen pulling out a gun and firing a single shot at Cook.
Colie was arrested soon after the shooting and charged with using a firearm to commit a felony, aggravated malicious wounding and discharging a firearm within a building.
In a court appearance, officials said the YouTuber was well-known to law enforcement and had been previously hurt while in the area.
Cook “is making money by causing fear” in those he targets, defense attorney Adam Pouilliard argued.
“We know these pranks are designed to generate confusion and frustration,” Pouilliard said. “And they do just that.”
Prosecutors disagreed, arguing that the response from Colie was unreasonable.
“I was kind of in shock,” Cook said during the hearing. “I had to double check I was shot because I didn’t feel anything at first.”
Colie’s defense attorney, Adam Pouilliard, called a conviction for Colie inconsistent with the law, given Colie’s acquittal on self-defense grounds. He asked the judge to set aside the conviction.
A judge will hear arguments on the issue at a hearing next month. Colie remains in custody pending while trials continue.