HENDRICKS COUNTY, Ind. — The house of a woman who received death threats stemming from a video posted on YouTube was burned Friday night in a bizarre twist to an already unusual story.
Delana Ward is convinced the fire was intentionally set in retaliation for her actions in the video, in which a distant relative accused her of stealing a child’s toy gun at a Christmas party, 6News’ Sarah Cornell reported.
Ward said she hid the gun because the child was bullying other children with itĀ HENDRICKS COUNTY, Ind. — The house of a woman who received death threats stemming from a video posted on YouTube was burned Friday night in a bizarre twist to an already unusual story.
Delana Ward is convinced the fire was intentionally set in retaliation for her actions in the video, in which a distant relative accused her of stealing a child’s toy gun at a Christmas party, 6News’ Sarah Cornell reported.
Ward said she hid the gun because the child was bullying other children with it.
The child’s father, Greg Cox, posted the video on YouTube last week, sparking what Ward called the worst week of her life.
“I never thought anybody would actually do this to us over a plastic toy gun,” Ward said Saturday, as she stood in front of her burned out home.
After the video hit the Internet, viewers took sides, and comments against Ward quickly turned vicious.
“The whole world out there knows who I am and where I am. There are so many sickos out there willing to do radical things,” Ward said.
Ward’s fear came true, though the family wasn’t home when the fire began. Ward said she got a call from a neighbor a little after 8 p.m., telling her about the fire.
Fire investigators have not yet made a determination if the fire was arson, but said its origin is suspicious. Neighbors said they saw strange vehicles in the area all week.
Cox previously posted videos on YouTube, including one of his 8-year-old child firing a gun earlier in the year.
The video on YouTube’s site was marked private, and Cox’s profile is no longer accessible. He has been advised not to comment, Cornell reported.
Cox admitted the situation spiraled out of control, but said he wanted Ward to apologize.
The Ward family is trying to move on, but concerns over comments made online are making that difficult.
“It’s just begun. It just got real — bang, bang,” she said.
Investigators said it could take several days before the cause of the fire is determined. In the meantime, the Ward family is staying at another home temporarily.
