THE HORROR! 75 DIE IN SHOOTING RAMPAGE!

Residents flee in terror as local businessman goes on a rampage in Vice City's downtown core.
by Sean Lambert
October 12th, 2004

Downtown Vice City was turned into a war-zone yesterday as local resident Tommy Vercetti, armed with an assortment of heavy weaponry and ordinance, went on a shooting spree for an as yet undetermined reason.

Civilians came under automatic weapons fire in the business district around 2:34 pm and police were immediately called in. Vercetti was able to prevent police from cordoning off the area by shooting at barricades, destroying several ambulances and civilian vehicles and killing civilians and emergency workers.

Several officers were brutally gunned down before the FBI and a SWAT team attempted an assault on Vercetti's postion with trucks, armored SWAT troop carriers and a police helicopter. Vercetti, who up until this point had been using a variety of assault rifles, automatic shotguns, revolvers and submachine guns, began using a General Electric 5.56mm chain-gun cannon. With it he mowed down all the attackers and destroyed the attacking helicopter.

Police snipers then tried to shoot Vercetti from windows across the street from the building he was occupying, but Vercetti began to run to the other side of the complex. More civilians, police and another police helicopter fell in a hail of bullets: police estimate Vercetti fired over 2000 rounds during the spree.

Vercetti managed to destroy an army transport when it got too close to him and one of his rounds pierced the vehicle's gasoline tank. Vercetti was finally confronted by three army tanks, which held their ground but blocked Vercetti's escape as police finally managed to cordon off the area. Several soldiers attacked his position from the rear, forcing him to withdraw towards the tanks.

Vercetti was forced to kill a tank commander with a chainsaw after he began to run short on ammo. As he was trying to drive the tank away, he was finally apprehended by a courageous policeman, Mike Thompson, who jumped on top of Vercetti's tank and held his sidearm to Vercetti's head.

This marks the single greatest tragedy and loss of life in Vice City's history. The trial for Tommy Vercetti, now Vice City's most famous and notorious mass murderer will commence in a months time. Finding an impartial jury will be most difficult, and attorneys for the prosecution and defense have been working overtime to try to prepare for the November 10th trial.

Until that time, a period of mourning was declared today by Florida Governor Jeb Bush: "This truly is a shocking event, in the history of Vice City, in the history of Florida, and in the history of the United States."