A YouTuber, referred to as a "prankster," tricked an 8-year-old boy, Gabe, and his father, TJ, into believing they were participating in a video for MrBeast. The prankster and his friends told them they would get 30 seconds to fill a shopping cart with toys, and MrBeast would pay for them. However, after the boy and his father filled the cart, the prankster and his friends ran away, leaving them with the bill. The boy, who is hearing-impaired, was particularly excited about the opportunity, making the prank even more hurtful. The prankster later defended his actions, claiming that the boy's father was lying about the events. However, many people have come to the boy's defense, and the Southington Town commission for persons with disabilities gave the boy a $200 gift card, which Target matched.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. An 8-year-old boy, Gabe Lyles, was pranked by a man who claimed to be working with the YouTuber Mr. Beast.
2. The prank involved a "blindfolded shopping spree challenge" where Gabe and his dad, TJ, were told they could fill a cart with toys and Mr. Beast would pay for them.
3. However, it was revealed that the man was not actually working with Mr. Beast and had no intention of paying for the toys.
4. The prankster and his friends ran away, leaving Gabe and TJ with a cart full of unpaid toys.
5. Gabe is hearing impaired and wears hearing aids.
6. The prankster claimed that he did not know about Gabe's hearing impairment and that the father, TJ, was lying about the incident.
7. The Southington Town commission for persons with disabilities gave TJ a $200 gift card, which was matched by Target.
8. Gabe was able to have a real shopping spree with the gift cards and got to keep the toys he chose.
9. The prankster posted a video response to the incident, which was criticized for being insensitive and dishonest.
10. The prankster's personality and behavior were mocked and criticized by the narrator of the text.