December 6–12, 2019 Brooklyn Paper • www.BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260-2500 AWP 9
GAME ON
E-sports venue opening in
Bushwick space next year
ISIS threat hits home in the kitchen of your mom,”
Man allegedly attempting to spark attacks
By Kevin Duggan
Brooklyn Paper
Lets the games begin!
A new gaming center
dubbed BrookLAN will
open inside a former Bushwick
warehouse next year,
offering gamers access to
top-of-the-line computers
and consoles in the hopes
of finding Brooklyn’s next
e-sport legend, according to
one of the masterminds behind
the project.
“We’re hoping that people
who want to come in to play
more casual games hopefully
catch that e-sports bug,” said
BrookLAN’s head of gaming
Alec Polsley.
Polsley and a team of developers
are aiming to revamp
the former manufacturing
space on the corner
of Irving Avenue and Troutman
Street by early spring
of 2020, which will house a
so-called “LAN center” with
some 30 computers, and an
event space that holds around
100 people with a stage for
competitions of popular esports
titles, such as Fortnite,
Overwatch, Counter-Strike,
and Rocket League.
The space will also feature
A D O P T A P E T T O D AY !
A COOPERATIVE ADOPTION EVENT:
KOREAN K9 RESCUE &
NORTH SHORE ANIMAL
LEAGUE AMERICA
NYC PET
475
10:30 AM - 5 PM
25 Davis Ave., Port Wanimalleague.orgFOLLOW US ON:
FOLLOW
OUR
DAILY
UPDATES
ON
TWITTER
twitter.com/
BrooklynPaper
a bar, kitchen and gaming
consoles near the entrance,
along with rooms for teams
to practice on six machines
and another section devoted
to live-streaming and podcast
recording, according to
Polsley.
Polsley hopes to also host
sessions for tabletop games,
such as Dungeons and Dragons,
along with classic games
like the 2007 first-person
shooter Halo 3.
The arsenal of high-powered
PCs could also be used
for educational events such
as classes on programming
and game design, according
to Polsley.
E-sports has become increasingly
popular in the borough,
with several massive
gaming events at Barclays
Center and a pop-up arena
in Boerum Hill.
But Kings County controller
jockeys have long
had to venture to Manhattan
or distant New Jersey
in search of similar gaming
venues, according to Polsley,
and the entrepreneur hopes
the Bushwick venue will become
a new home for e-athletes
across the city.
Preliminary renderings courtesy of SA-DA Architecture
An e-sports venue will open in Bushwick under the
name BrookLAN next year. An event space with
room for 100 people will host e-sports tournaments.
By Jessica Parks
Brooklyn Paper
Police arrested a Brooklyn
man last week for allegedly
publishing ISIS propaganda
and bomb-making instructions
in an effort to incite
terrorist attacks in New York
City.
“The defendant allegedly
provided instructions for how
to plan attacks on US soil,
encouraging ISIS supporters
to attack in well-populated
locations,” said Assistant Attorney
General John C. Demers.
“The National Security
Division is committed
to identifying and holding
accountable those who support
foreign terrorist organizations
and pose a threat to
our communities.”
The suspect allegedly
pledged allegiance to ISIS
twice, first in July and a second
time in October, according
to prosecutors.
In March, the 40-year-old
began posting ISIS propaganda
— including calls to
commit independent terrorist
attacks in the metro area
— to encrypted chatrooms
with the intention to reach
members, associates, supporters,
and potential ISIS
recruits.
The defendant purportedly
disseminated instructions
on how to conduct a
terrorist attack and how to
select a target to attack in
an Aug. 3 post, court documents
said.
Other posts featured titles
including “Knife Attacks”
and “Make a bomb
prosecutors claim.
The Brooklyn resident
faces charges of attempting
to provide material support
for ISIS and distributing
information relating to
explosives, destructive devices,
and weapons of mass
destruction — both of which
carry maximum sentences of
20 years if convicted.
“Today’s arrest in Brooklyn
is a reminder that New
York City remains a top terrorism
target in the United
States,” said former NYPD
Commissioner James P.
O’Neill. “The NYPD and
all of our law-enforcement
partners remain vigilant in
this ongoing fight against terror
and anyone who would
plot to do us harm.”
“The e-sports scene over
the last couple of years has
definitely grown,” he said.
“We hope to have a tournament
circuit going on for the
community.”
/www.BrooklynPaper.com
/www.BrooklynPaper.com
/twitter.com