This doesn’t appear to be Cook’s first time seemingly harassing an individual for a prank. While bothering folks is part of his so-called prank content, WUSA9 reporter Matthew Torres said someone who was pranked by Cook was left “traumatized” as the nature of the joke involved a “stalker.”

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Cops responded in three minutes

In a press release, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) said that once a call was placed at around 11:57 a.m. local time reporting the incident, deputies were on the scene within three minutes. Colie, the suspect, was swiftly arrested.

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“One adult male victim was found outside the mall with a gunshot wound to the abdomen,” LCSO said. “The victim was treated for injuries by deputies and members of the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System (LC-CFRS) and transported to a local hospital for treatment. At this time, it does not appear that the suspect and the victim were known to each other.”

LCSO said deputies on the scene also “checked the entire mall” to see if any other suspects or victims were present, but nothing was reported in that regard.

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When reached for comment, a LCSO detective told Kotaku that the department can’t divulge much information because the incident is still under investigation.

“We do have the shooter in custody,” the LCSO detective said. “We can’t release the victim’s name or the fact that the victim has a social media presence, which you might already know. We’re limited on what we can say, but the victim is still in the hospital. Other than that, we don’t know their status.”

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Despite such a traumatizing predicament that would rattle most folks, Cook told WUSA9 that the shooting isn’t going to stop him. Posting is his “passion,” he told the news station, so he’s intent to return to YouTube. Cook’s expected to make a full recovery.

Update, 04/07/23, 10:58 a.m. ET: This story has been edited to add details about the nature of the prank and the possibility of charges being pressed against Tanner Cook.

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