‘Looksmaxxing’ streamer shot a dead gator in the Everglades. He got probation
Clavicular, a popular “looksmaxxer” influencer who filmed himself shooting a dead alligator in the Everglades in March, struck a plea deal with prosecutors on Friday.
Wearing a suit, the streamer, whose name is Braden Eric Peters, pleaded no contest to unlawfully discharging a firearm in a public place, a misdemeanor. As a result of the agreement, he received a withhold of adjudication, meaning no criminal conviction will appear on his record.
Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Marcus Bach Armas also sentenced Peters, 20, to six months of probation and 20 hours of community service, which he cannot livestream, as required in the agreement. Peters was also ordered to complete firearm-safety and wildlife-protection courses.
READ MORE: ‘Looksmaxxer’ influencer Clavicular charged in Everglades shooting of dead gator
In late April, Peters was arrested alongside Yabdiel Anibal Cotto Torres, 26, and Andrew Morales, 22. Morales, known in influencer circles as the “Cuban Tarzan,” accepted the same plea agreement during the Friday hearing. Cotto Torres will enter a plea at a hearing on Wednesday, May 20.
After the hearing, Peters and Morales were whisked away by their attorneys and went down the escalators without responding to reporters’ questions.
The incident happened near a boat ramp in the Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area within the national park, where the discharge of a firearm is prohibited unless authorized, according to prosecutors.
Peters, who says he makes $100,000 a month showing his videos on the Kick livestreaming service, posted footage of himself and his two friends on an airboat when they came upon an alligator floating among lily pads.
Peters is heard asking, “Is it dead,” and, “So, can we shoot it?”
Peters and at least one of his friends were armed with semiautomatic handguns, the video shows. Peters then said, “We have to test if it’s dead.”
“He just wants to shoot something..., he’s itching,” Morales said in the footage.
The airboat driver told the trio, “You can pretty much do whatever.” And without hesitation, they fired more than 25 bullets into the alligator, according to the video.
Peters acted on instructions of the airboat guide, his attorneys Steven Kramer and Jeffrey Neiman said in a statement after his arrest.
“He relied on that guidance. No animals or people were harmed. We are confident that once the full picture is understood, people will see this for what it is,” the statement said.
Peters came into fame in “looksmaxxing” circles, a genre of people — mostly boys and men — who alter their looks dramatically for internet clout.
Miami Herald Staff Writer David Goodhue contributed to this report
