The owner of a brewery in Madison has issued an apology for defacing video game machines at the Aftershock Classic Arcade Bar, attributing his actions to struggles with mental health, according to a Wisconsin State Journal report.
Brad Van Kauwenbergh, who co-owns Aftershock located at 1442 E. Washington Ave., reported finding the defacement on Sunday morning. The damage was evident in over 10 areas, including games, walls, and tables. Footage from security cameras captured an individual causing part of this damage around midnight, before the establishment closed at 2 a.m. The arcade shared images of the vandalism on its Facebook page the following day.
Kyle Metz, the proprietor of Black Rose Blending Co. at 1602 Gilson St., came forward on Monday with a Facebook post admitting to the vandalism. He explained his actions as the result of battling mental distress and feelings of despair.
Van Kauwenbergh noted that Metz had reached out to Aftershock prior, expressing regret and offering compensation for the damages. Metz had also requested the removal of his photographs from the arcade’s Facebook page, a request that has yet to be fulfilled.
In communication with the State Journal, Metz conveyed the challenges he has faced running a business with insufficient funding and his decision to seek therapy.
“In seeking a way out of a low point, I suppose I was chasing a temporary thrill,” he admitted in his Facebook post. “It offered a fleeting moment of relief during a time when things were far from okay.”
