What's Wrong With This Headline?

[qayak]

Is it just me or has the news gotten this backwards? Some kid from S. Korea does a murder-suicide but the media has it as a suicide-murder. If there were more of these the death toll would only be half what it is!

SKorean police: Gamer, 15, kills himself, mother

Sure, it is possible that the kid could kill himself first and then his mother die later . . . a bomb, poison, etc., but he hung himself and strangled her. That requires a certain order of events that specifically rules out suicide-murder!

Ahhhhhh . . . now I feel better and I've created a great start to my day by righting this terrible wrong. Have a good one yourself. :)

[The Central Scrutinizer]

I don't think it implies order.

Direct your outrage elsewhere. :)

[marplots]

I've heard of one of these (completely anecdotal -- could be urban legend) that sounded plausible. Guy offs himself with a car running in the attached garage. Wife and kids go in from the house to take the car somewhere. Family dies.

Not strictly suicide-murder, more like suicide, unfortunate accident. Technically, a suicide bomber does it though. If you want to measure milliseconds for who dies first.

[Cainkane1]

may be the shock of seeing her son hanging she had a heart attack and he inadvertantly killed her that way???

[Emet]

I don't think it implies order.

Direct your outrage elsewhere. :)

It doesn't. It was a widely circulated AP report:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101116/ap_on_re_as/as_skorea_internet_killing

SKorean police: Gamer, 15, kills himself, mother

– Tue Nov 16, 4:46 am ET
SEOUL, South Korea – South Korean police say a 15-year-old boy has committed suicide after killing his mother in a fight over Internet games.

[catsmate1]

Might I recommend a book I'm currently reading? The Grouchy Grammarian by Thomas Parrish...........

[qayak]

It doesn't. It was a widely circulated AP report:

Not the story, the headline: SKorean police: Gamer, 15, kills himself, mother

Of course it implies order. In fact, it explicitly states the order unless you are arguing that it would be correct for me to say "My grandfather died, was married and grew old."

The headline should have read: S. Korean police: Gamer, 15, kills mother, self.