Voice chat is cool. It lets you coordinate and strategize with other players online, you get to interact with all sorts of people, you may even stop a flunking senior from shooting everyone in his high school. Yep, that last one actually happened - this is how that awesome feature prevented a school shooting.

Our story begins when a guy from Port Alberni, British Columbia, was playing Modern Warfare 2 via Xbox Live with another dude from Texas. In a regular conversation, the Texan told his Canadian playmate about his woes, like him being in his senior year and flunking school.

While most online convos mostly run along "noob!!!" and "@#$%^&!!!!", the Texan apparently went deeper into the subject, eventually confiding in the Canadian about his plans of firing away in his own high school the following day. Usually, you'd think that the Texan was just off his rocker and letting off steam. Well, judging by how he had specific targets and a detailed plan, he probably was.

Sensing the likelihood that his Texan online buddy might actually push through with his plans of real-life fragging, the Canadian alerted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Port Alberni. With help from the Microsoft Law Enforcement Security, the RCMP managed to pinpoint the would-be shooter's location in San Antonio, where the teenage suspect was arrested.

"The suspect indicated he was a senior at his high school, had failing grades and mentioned names of students he was targeting, along with plans about how the shooting would proceed," said Staff Sgt. Lee Omilusik. Those who go to John Marshall High School better thank the Canadian (and their lucky shorts) - you used to go to school with a potential shooter.

“This incident demonstrates the power of the electronic world and how different enforcement agencies can quickly work together to protect the citizens they serve, regardless of obstacles such as international barriers," Omilusik said. "In this case, the suspect was quickly arrested and no one was hurt thanks to the information received from a concerned citizen."

Vancouver Sun [via GamePolitics]

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