Who is Tanner Cook? YouTube prankster who got shot in a mall reacts after gunman's acquittal
LEESBURG, VIRGINIA: YouTube prankster Tanner Cook has reacted after the man who shot him in a mall earlier this year was acquitted by a Virginia jury.
The jury, shockingly found delivery driver Alan Colie, 31, not guilty of aggravated malicious wounding in the shooting of Cook, 21, who runs the Classified Goons YouTube channel on Thursday, September 28, Fox News reports.
Cook spoke out on the verdict as he left a Leesburg, Virginia, courthouse on Thursday.
What did Tanner Cook say?
"I really don't care. It is what it is. It's God's plan at the end of the day," he told WUSA 9 which captured a video of him and his mother.
When asked by the outlet's reporter if he had any comments for people who question the nature of his YouTube content, Cook said, "I don't know. I guess we'll have to just keep watching."
Cook also said "probably" after being questioned whether he plans to continue making videos despite the incident with Colie.
What did Tanner Cook's mother say?
Cook's mother told WUSA9's reporter they "respect" the jury's decision. "At the end of the day, you know we respect what the jury says, and my family and I are just grateful and thankful that I have my son here and nothing else matters right now — and that's it," she said, before taking a moment to praise the prosecutors who took the case to trial.
"They did an outstanding job presenting the case and we couldn't have it any better," she said, adding "And regardless of the outcome, you know the jury is still the jury and we totally respect how our law [system] plays out and this was the outcome today and we respect that."
Why was Alan Colie acquitted?
According to NBC News, the jury was split on two lesser firearms counts and decided to convict Colie on one and acquit him on the other.
The decision was reached after about five hours of deliberation. The accused had pleaded not guilty and said he was acting in self-defense.
Following the April 2 incident, Cook was hospitalized at the Dulles Town Center in Sterling when Colie allegedly shot the content creator in the chest in the mall's food court.
The horrifying moment was captured by the YouTuber's friend who had been filming the prank.
What did Tanner Cook say after getting shot?
Cook spoke out about the shooting from his hospital bed. "I was playing a prank and a simple practical joke, and this guy didn't take it very well," he told WUSA9 at the time.
"He didn't say anything to me," Cook said. He also posted a YouTube video in July titled "I Got Shot!" featuring footage of the aftermath of the shooting.
What did Tanner Cook's father say following the incident?
Cook's father, Jeramy Cook, provided WUSA9 with more insight into the incident. "They were making a video at the mall and trying to have fun with people and this guy wasn't having fun," he said of Colie's reaction.
"There was a phone that was around him and they were interviewing or talking to him, and he didn't like it and he pulled out his gun and shot my son," Jeramy added.
Police said Loudoun County Sheriff's Office had received reports of shots being fired at the mall just before noon on April 2.
Officers arrived at the scene within minutes and Cook was treated at the scene before being transported to a local hospital.
Colie was arrested and charged with "aggravated malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm within a building," police said.
"The shooting resulted from an interaction between the victim and Colie in the food court," they added.