In his testimony on Tuesday, a YouTube prankster who was shot by one of his unsuspecting subjects claimed that he had no awareness of having frightened or provoked the individual who ultimately fired at him during the recording of the prank.

Tanner Cook, the creator behind the YouTube channel “Classified Goons,” which boasts over 55,000 subscribers, appeared rather nonchalant as he recounted the events surrounding the shooting.

The trial of 31-year-old Alan Colie, who faces charges of aggravated malicious wounding and two firearms-related counts, commenced with Cook’s testimony.

The incident occurred on April 2 in the food court of Dulles Town Center, located approximately 45 minutes west of the nation’s capital, triggering widespread panic among shoppers who fled, fearing a mass shooting was unfolding.

During the trial, jurors were presented with video footage of the shooting, which had been captured by Cook’s associates, the Associated Press reported.

The brief interaction between the two individuals lasted less than 30 seconds. In the video, Cook, who stands at 6-foot-5 (1.95 meters), approaches Alan Colie, a DoorDash driver, while he is in the process of picking up an order.

In the footage, Colie can be heard saying “stop” three times and attempts to step back from Cook, who continues to advance. Colie makes an effort to swat the phone away from his face before ultimately drawing a firearm and shooting Cook in the lower left chest.

Tanner Cook, aged 21, testified during the trial on Tuesday that he employs pranks designed to confuse his subjects for the entertainment of his online audience.

He clarified that his intention is not to elicit fear or anger, although he acknowledged that his targets often react in such a manner.

When questioned about why he didn’t cease the prank despite Colie’s repeated requests, Cook explained that he considered stopping but not because he sensed fear or anger from Colie.

Instead, he believed that Colie simply was not providing the kind of reaction he sought for his content.

Written by staff