It was only a matter of time before it happened, honestly. After Heath Ledger’s incredible performance in The Dark Knight, I started a mental countdown until the first crackpot with a Joker obsession went out and did something crazily stupid. It took longer than I expected, but Army Spc. Christopher Lanum dressing like The Joker, stabbing a fellow soldier, and getting shot by police during a chase through Shenandoah National Park definitely qualifies as something crazily stupid.
I think the only thing that really has surprised me about this guy’s crime is that someone with a serious Joker obsession also had a girlfriend (who he dragged along on his craziness rampage). I guess she approved of the Joker-loving shenanigans. Maybe she was dressed like Harley Quinn?
If Batman wasn’t at traffic school dealing with that ticket for illegal parking, he could’ve stopped this guy no problem.
Tags: Christopher Lanum, crazy criminals, Shenandoah National Park, man dressed like joker killed by police, the joker copycat crimes, unusual criminals