This is a terrible, terrible thing. As I parent I can't imagine ...
As someone who has been around guns all my life (the boy obviously too) I know better than to ever point a gun at myself or friend, whether I believe it's loaded or not. I also would never reinact halo scenolgy with a real gun there is just too much danger.. (Yes I knew better than this at 11 too.)
To play with a real gun is crazy - gun safety teaches you this, I think Halo teaches you this too ... virtual people DIE when they are shot with a gun..
Isn't there a scene in halo 3 where a marine shoots himself after seeing the flood take over his sqaud? -- whether the is or there isn't here are the things you can't blame.
The Gun, The Game, The Laws
Here are some things we can look to blame:
Poor Gun Safety Teachings, Poor Gun Security, and a really wierd since of what a kid should be allowed to do.
"Hey can I skip school and play with the 22?"
"Sure son."
Furthermore:
trying to imitate moves from the game with his .22 caliber rifle (a common pastime for the child).
Who lets a kid do that sort of things with a real gun???????? Who?
This is a terrible tragedy and I just hope that this family can move on and also that people idiots don't try to but blame on the wrong things here.
EDIT:
On an edit here - the website probably just grabbed a picture of someone in armor off the internet because they thought it would be represenative of a boy who loved halo.