Delivery driver acquitted of shooting YouTuber in the chest in prank gone wrong

2 October 2023, 13:25

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

A delivery driver has been acquitted in the shooting of a YouTube prankster who followed him around a shopping mall with a phone inches from his face.

Alan Colie has been found not guilty of aggravated malicious wounding after the shooting of YouTuber Tanner Cook. Mr Colie, 31, has been convicted on a separate firearms count.

Mr Cook, 21, who has 57,000 fans on his Classified Goons YouTube channel, was left in a serious condition after being shot in the stomach while trying to film a prank in the Dulles Town Center in Sterling, US, in April this year.

The prankster says he was filming a prank on a stranger when he got into a confrontation with Mr Colie, who claimed he was confused by Mr Cook's actions.

Mr Cook was left in intensive care after the shooting, suffering damage to his stomach and liver.

Mr Colie was later charged with aggravated malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and discharging a firearm inside a building. 

He pleaded not guilty and claimed he was acting in self defence.

Mr Collie's lawyer said his firearms conviction was 'not consistent with the law' after he was acquitted.

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A hearing will be held next month after Mr Collie's lawyer asked for the firearm conviction to be set aside.

Mr Collie will remain in jail, where he has been since April, until the hearing.

Footage showed to the jury shows Mr Cook approach Mr Collie as he picks up a delivery order at the Dulles Town Center in Sterling.

The prankster places his mobile phone just inches from Mr Collie's face, as he played out unusual clips.

Mr Colie can be heard telling the YouTuber to stop multiple times and tries to get the phone out of his face before pulling out a gun and shooting Mr Cook.