A “disturbed” fan broke into the home of a couple famous for their videos on YouTube and searched for the female of the couple before police arrived and fatally shot him, according to reports.
Officers also said that Giles developed resentment for 29-year-old Gavin Free, Turney’s boyfriend, who is himself a YouTube star with millions of subscribers.
Turney and Free told officers they were woken up by the sound of gunshots and shattered glass around 3 a.m. on Jan. 26 and then heard someone walking around their home.
Turney and Free fled to their closet and hid, reported KVUE.
When officers arrived, they found a sedan with a New Mexico license plate backing out of the driveway.
After Giles fired at officers they fired back and he was killed.
Officers said in the incident report that footage showed Giles hunting around the home for people.
“It was apparent that Giles’ sole intent was to cause harm to someone who resides there,” the officers wrote.
Referencing the recordings on Giles’s phone, the affidavit read, “Based upon these notations, it was apparent that Giles developed a fondness of Turney yet resented Free for his lifestyle and success.”
University of Texas Associate Professor Dr. Angeline Close Scheinbaum told KVUE that the case shows a “parasocial interaction.”
“It’s when a real consumer, a real person has a relationship that’s real to them, but the kicker is it’s not normal at all because it’s one-sided,” she said. “The other party may or may not even be aware of that person’s existence.”
“Thank y’all so, so much for each and every kind message today and a special thank you to the @Austin_Police for their quick response that night and their ongoing support during this difficult time. Heart you guys so much,” she said.
Free also sent out a message on Twitter.
“Hey everyone. I just wanted to say thanks for all the support and concern regarding the recent incident,” he wrote.
“It’s been a rough time for Meg and myself the last few weeks but we are doing ok. I want to give a huge thanks to @Austin_Police for the amazing response time.”
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