A group of Las Vegas Pokemon GO players are targeted by armed robbers in a park, but one armed player fights back, drawing a weapon and starting a shootout.

While Pokemon GO draws a lot of people together, it can also lead to players being targeted by criminals. In the latest attempt to rob players, one Pokemon GO player took action to defend himself.

The incident occurred at a park in Las Vegas at around four in the morning, when an SUV drove up alongside a group of players who were playing Pokemon GO. A man inside the SUV demanded the players' belongings, holding a gun on the players. At least one player in the Pokemon GO group owned a weapon himself and a concealed weapons permit, and he retrieved his weapon. A shootout between the player and gunman commenced, leaving one Pokemon GO player and the armed robber with non-fatal injuries.

The two injured people have both been hospitalized, and charges will be pressed against the underage driver of the SUV as well as the armed robber. According to the initial report, it's unclear whether the Pokemon GO player who was injured is the one who pulled a gun, or if it was another member of the group.

Although this is the first time a Pokemon GO player has been armed and attempted to fight back, it's certainly not the first time that players of the game have been attacked. News broke shortly after the release of Pokemon GO that armed robbers were using Lure Modules to attract players to a PokeStop to rob them. Another pair of Pokemon GO players were shot at while trespassing on private property in pursuit of Pokemon.

Criminal activity has always been a part of the Pokemon series, though it'd certainly be preferable if that particular aspect weren't being translated to the real-world game, especially since Pokemon GO players can't defend themselves with their captured monsters. Worse still, the typical advice of sticking together in groups for safety doesn't seem to be doing much for Pokemon GO players, and instead may be making them a bigger target.

Pokemon GO has done a lot to bring gamers together, but players should take care so that they don't become a part of the next story of violence. Since the game encourages gamers to travel to PokeStops and players tend to be looking at their phones, rather than their real-world surroundings, getting hurt while playing Pokemon GO is unfortunately easy. Check out our tips for staying safe while playing Pokemon GO and be careful out there, trainers.

Pokemon GO is out now for Android and iOS devices in select locations.

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Source: Associated Press