YouTube Star Couple Targeted by Gunman in Home-Invasion Attack

Publish date: 2024-07-06

A “single, lonely and disturbed” man, armed with a handgun, drove 11 hours to the home of YouTube celebrity couple Gavin Free and Meg Turney in Austin, Texas — evidently intending to kill Free, according to a police report.

The incident occurred early the morning of Jan. 26, when a man broke into Free and Turney’s home and fired at least one gunshot, according to a search warrant from the Albuquerque police that was obtained by the Albuquerque Journal. Detectives in Albuquerque were investigating the suspect, Christopher Giles, who lived there.

Gavin Free is the creator of the Slow Mo Guys channel on YouTube along with Daniel Gruchy; the duo created a YouTube ad-supported original series that launched last month. Turney is a former Rooster Teeth host and cosplayer, while Free continues to be a regular member of the Rooster Teeth crew (having appeared in both “Lazer Team” movies and other projects).

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On Jan. 26, Free and Turney called 911, hiding in a closet while the intruder searched the home. Police arrived 10 minutes later, according to the police report. Giles was pronounced dead at the scene, with an initial report from the medical examiner indicated he died of a self-inflicted gunshot. Giles apparently had developed an obsession with Turney and had notes on his phone that included one that said “I want Gavin Free to die alone, with no children,” per the search warrant, which was filed last week with a New Mexico state court.

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“Based on the [security camera] footage seen it was apparent that Giles’ sole intent was to cause harm to someone who resides there,” police said in the search warrant.

On Monday, the YouTubers expressed gratitude to their fans for their support and the Austin Police Department for their fast response to the emergency.

Hey everyone. I just wanted to say thanks for all the support and concern regarding the recent incident. It’s been a rough time for Meg and myself the last few weeks but we are doing ok. I want to give a huge thanks to @Austin_Police for the amazing response time. ❤️ you all.

— Gavin Free (@GavinFree) February 13, 2018

Thank y’all so, so much for each and every kind message today and a special thank you to the @Austin_Police for their quick response that night and their ongoing support during this difficult time. Heart you guys so much. ♥️

— Meg Turney (@megturney) February 13, 2018

Pictured above: Gavin Free and Meg Turney in a December 2017 video on Turney’s YouTube channel.

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