Eagle-eyed Google Maps users spot ‘armed robbery’ on sidewalk in broad daylight
ASTONISHED Google Maps explorers have spotted what looks like an armed robbery in progress.
Shocking images appear to show a teenage boy holding another kid at gunpoint.
- See more criminals caught red-handed on Google Maps
"Did the Google Car just witness a crime?" a concerned Reddit user asked.
However, a third youth is also seen nearby holding up a smartphone, suggesting it may be an elaborate hoax.
Moments before, the trio were also seen mingling peacefully, further fuelling suspicion that it was quickly faked as they saw the Google Maps car driving along.
"I looks like they saw the car go by and decided to prank it by pulling a gun out and pointing it at one of his friends when the car turned around," one observer said.
"And you can see the guy on the right recording it for a TikTok or something.
"The only crime was that the car went the wrong way down a one way street."
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Even if it is a prank, it's not clear whether the firearm is real and how a teenager would have one available so quickly to pull it off.
The images were captured in a neighbourhood just outside the French capital Paris.
According to Google Street View data, it was taken in Asnières-sur-Seine around June 2019.
It's the latest in a string of weird moments Google Maps has witnessed over the years.
Police recently apprehended an Italian mafia henchman after the fugitive was caught on the platform.
Gioacchino Gammino was reportedly convicted of murder and then escaped from prison 20 years ago before ending up in Spain.
In other news, people are increasingly unable to tell apart fake faces made by AI and real ones, new research suggests.
Websites could crash in a couple of months if owners fail to make major change ahead of Chrome, Edge and Firefox 'version 100' update.
Uber has revealed the worst and best cities for passenger ratings.
And the naughtiest ever emoji combinations to be careful of have been revealed.
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