The creator of an online video game based on the Dawson College shooting has decided to pull it off the internet after an outcry regarding his technical offering.

The 23-year-old Ontario man, who uses the online moniker Virtuaman, has posted an apology on his website, saying he's sorry if the game upset people affected by the tragedy.

Anastasia DeSousa, 18, was killed and 19 other students were injured when a gunman opened fire at the downtown CÉGEP college in September 2006. The gunman killed himself in the school.

Virtuaman says it was reports of DeSouza's mother and her outrage at the game that sealed his decision to remove it from cyberspace.

"After thinking this over for a while I feel that the existence of the game is hurting a family that doesn't deserve it," his online statement reads. "Game or not, it has reached the family and they are, of course, upset. I hope in removing the game from the net I help them get over the game and the pain it has caused them."

The aim of the free game was to "storm Dawson College with your favourite rifle, and kill those students and kill any cops you can," and featured a slide show of pictures the gunman had posted on his personal blog.

It was posted on several gaming sites days before the fourth anniversary of the tragedy, on Sept. 13.

Montreal police investigated the game this week, but said they could not press charges because the game doesn't break any laws.

The game's existence outraged the Dawson College community, including former students who survived the shooting.

The full statement from Virtuaman:

  • "After thinking this over for a while I feel that the existence of the game is hurting a family that doesn't deserve it. Game or not it has reached the family and they are of course upset. I hope in removing the game from the net I help them get over the game and the pain it has caused them. I wanted to draw attention to the dark reality of school shootings and somehow make a game out of it, I never stopped to think that it could really hurt someone out there. To be honest, I didn't care what anyone thought of my game till I heard her mother was upset over it. I will remove it for her. I just want to say sorry to the victims family, I hope you can move on and put this behind yourselves."