Gunman strikes Madden NFL 19 esports tournament in Jacksonville [Update]
Early reports indicating that there are several dead from the latest mass shooting and one of the first to happen at a live esports event.
Update #4 (7:50PM): The FBI has completed its search in Baltimore.
Update: @FBIBaltimore has cleared the scene in south Baltimore. Follow @JSOPIO for the latest information regarding the #TheLandingMassShooting
— FBI Baltimore (@FBIBaltimore) August 27, 2018
Update #3 (5:55PM PT): The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has issued further details on Sunday's shooting the the media.
#TheLandingMassShooting - Shooting occurred at a Madden (19) Tournament at Chicago Pizza at The Jacksonville Landing. First call came in at 1:34 p.m. Two minutes later at 1:36 p.m. #JSO arrived. https://t.co/qBJvkaO7xT
— Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) August 27, 2018
The shooter was identified as 24-year-old David Katz from Baltimore, a former Madden NFL 17 Buffalo Bills Championship tournament winner. According to the Baltimore Sun, authorities are currently searching a home along Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, which is believed to be linked to the assailant. A final number of casualties and wounded has not been issued, but three people are confirmed dead, including Katz. Eleven people have been confirmed injured, with everyone in stable condition.
The deceased victims were confirmed to be 21-year-old Eli 'Trueboy' Clayton and 29-year-old Taylor 'SpotMePlzzz' Robertson, both Madden pros.
Update #2 (12:40PM PT): According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, the gunman had competed during the weekend's Madden tournament and lost in an earlier round. Competitor Steven 'Steveyj' Javaruski informed the LA Times via Twitter Direct Message that the gunman had targeted several people and shot at least five before killing himself.
Update #1 (12PM PT): The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has confirmed that one suspect is dead at the scene.
One suspect is dead at the scene, unknown at this time if we have a second suspect. Searches are being conducted. https://t.co/qBJvkaO7xT
— Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) August 26, 2018
It is currently unknown whether there are multiple assailants. SWAT teams are currently scouring the area, finding multiple people in hiding.
Original story: Tragedy hit a Madden 19 esports tournament at Jacksonville Landing on Sunday. A gunman struck in the middle of the tournament, shooting at players and attendees. Early reports is that there are several dead, with more wounded.
Mass shooting at the Jacksonville Landing. Stay far away from the area. The area is not safe at this time. STAY AWAY #TheLandingMassShooting
— Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) August 26, 2018
Local reporter for WJXT, Vic Mivolucci, is indicating on Twitter that there are four dead, with ten victims overall. Drini Gjoka of Complexity Gaming took to Twitter quickly to confirm his survival, noting that he was grazed on the thumb by a bullet. Several Twitch clips have been taken of the moment on-stream where gunshots broke out. We will not link to that here at Shacknews, but those looking to hunt down that clip should be warned that the footage is highly disturbing.
While this is one of the first mass shootings to hit an esports tournament, there have been several near-misses over the past few years. During June's CEO event in Daytona Beach, miles from the Jacksonville shooting, tournament organizer Alex Jebailey acknowledged that an attendee was caught with a gun in their backpack. In March, a Twitch user threatened a mass shooting at EVO 2018, with tournament organizer Joey 'Mr Wizard' Cuellar forwarding the threat to the FBI. As far back as 2015, Boston police arrested two armed suspects before they were able to enter the Pokemon World Championships, with both men allegedly plotting to commit a mass shooting.
We will update this story as more information comes in.
-
Ozzie Mejia posted a new article, Gunman strikes Madden 19 esports tournament in Jacksonville
-