By 2008, "General Hospital"'s reputation for mob violence was still strong. During the serial killer's rampage, son of mob kingpin Sonny, Michael Corinthos, purchases a gun to protect his family, and accidentally shoots Kate Howard, Sonny's girlfriend. Sonny tries to show Michael a life without mob violence, but Michael is shot by Ian Devlin in a plan orchestrated by Claudia Zacchara, with a bullet meant for Sonny. Head writer Robert Guza, Jr. addressed the shooting as his way of showing consequences for Michael's earlier actions, which had gone unaccounted for. Michael falls into a permanent coma as young actor Dylan Cash is let go from the series. When asked if showing consequences for violence was the beginning of less-violent plots on the show, Guza responded: