A 23-year-old man drove 1,700 miles from Texas to California to kill an 18-year-old boy before racing back home and taking his own life a...
A 23-year-old man drove 1,700 miles from Texas to California to kill an 18-year-old boy before racing back home and taking his own life as cops closed in on him - with police investigating whether an online gaming dispute sparked the violence.
Matthew Thane, 18, was shot and killed just before 6am outside him home by a man wearing a helmet and jeans, the Flower Mound Police Department in Texas said.
An unnamed Bay Area police official told The Mercury News that the suspect set a propane tank on fire outside Thane's house to lure him outside to his death.
Early in the investigation, detectives were led to an 'acquaintance' of Thanes, whom he had met through online gaming.
A look through his cellphone data revealed that the man - who has not yet been named by police - traveled from his home in Pleasanton, California, to Flower Mound, Texas, and then back home, all within 72 hours.
Online gamer Matthew Thane, 18, was shot and killed at his home in Flower Mound, California, early Tuesday morning by his alleged rival
Thane was shot at his home in Flower Mound, Texas, after his attacked set a propane tank on fire to lure him outside
At around 11pm on Wednesday, police arrived at the 23-year-old suspect's home on Huntswood Home in Pleasanton to execute a search warrant, leading to a standoff.
As SWAT officers were trying to get the man to come out, he reportedly shot himself dead.
Thane was known in the online gaming community as 'JPN' or 'Japan,' and played the Call of Duty game
According to police, a subsequent search of his home uncovered evidence connecting him to Thane's killing.
The suspect’s identity and official cause of death is pending the Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau release, which could take up to several days.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help Thane's family with his funeral expenses.
The description of the fundraiser said that 'Matthew never failed to put a smile on someone’s face and brighten their day. He was such an unique character, one of a kind. Let’s come together and support his family in this time of need.'
According to social media posts from those who knew him, Thane was known in the online gaming community as 'JPN' or 'Japan,' and played the Call of Duty game.
'RIP Matthew Thane. nothing but love and thoughts and prayers to this family who were such amazing neighbors and friends to me growing up,' one tweet read. 'This is an unbelievable tragedy.'
Thane is survived by his parents and two sisters.
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