It’s rare that I use Somebody Think of the Children to preempt outrage (rarer than me posting at all, sorry), but I expect we’ll hear more about this Google Maps Street View mashup that allows you to shoot an M4A1 assault rifle in a virtual street.

Pop in any address on the site where Google Street View is available you’ll be presented with a photo of the street and an assault rifle to shoot at will.

Screenshot from the 'Shoot' website.

Screenshot from the 'Shoot' website.

Technically it’s a very basic concept, but it presents an irresistible opportunity for politicians, law enforcement and the media to ‘have a go’.

How long will it be before you see “Online Massacre Training” and “Shoot Up Your Neighbour’s House” splashed across Australian newspapers?

Update 1:58PM

Fairfax now has a story on ‘Shoot View’ and reports that Google has removed the game’s access to the Street View API — effectively disabling it from using Google Street View maps and images. A teaser video of the game remains hosted on Youtube.