Three Dead in FL Gaming Event Shooting
By Lisa Maria Garza and Michael Williams
Source Orlando Sentinel
Aug. 27 -- A gunman killed two people and injured eleven others before fatally shooting himself on Sunday afternoon during a video game tournament at a downtown venue in Jacksonville, authorities said.
Baltimore resident David Katz, 24, was competing in the Madden NFL 19 Championship Series and opened fire shortly after 1:30 p.m. inside the Chicago Pizza restaurant at Jacksonville Landing, Sheriff Mike Williams told reporters at an evening news conference.
Officers were on the scene within two minutes, he said.
“We know that the suspect used at least one handgun to commit this act,” the sheriff said, adding that he would not discuss a possible motive.
Nine people were taken to local hospitals — seven of those with gunshot wounds — and two other gunshot victims arrived on their own at nearby hospitals for treatment.
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“I’m happy to report that they are all in stable condition at this time,” the sheriff said.
The weekend competition was sanctioned by video game giant Electronic Arts, which publishes the popular Madden series, based on the National Football League, in a 700-employee studio in Maitland.
Sunday’s event was the first of four Madden NFL 19 Classic qualifier competitions, with gamers battling it out online for a chance to face off in April at the Madden Bowl and win a piece of the $200,000 prize purse.
The top two finishers at the Jacksonville tournament would have earned a spot in in the next round, an October event in Las Vegas. Gaming officials have not said if the competition will resume.
“This is a horrible situation, and our deepest sympathies go out to all involved,” the video game company said in a statement.
A portion of the shooting was broadcast over Twitch, a live-streaming service popular with gamers. The shooting began as a player prepared to return a kickoff during the game. The player's controller disconnects as the shooting begins.
About a dozen shots can be heard, along with screaming and other commotion. One man is heard shouting, "What'd he shoot me with?"
Another man repeatedly says, "Oh my God!”
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The sheriff's office said they have a copy of the video and are asking anybody with additional footage to send it to authorities.
Sunday's bloodshed marks the latest in a series of deadly gun violence incidents to rock Florida in recent years, including the shooting rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, the Fort Lauderdale Airport shooting in 2017 and the Pulse nightclub massacre in 2016.
Two days before the Sunday shooting, one person was killed and two others were injured during a shooting at a high school football game in Jacksonville, the sheriff’s office said.
Crawling to safety
Taylor Poindexter, 26, traveled to Jacksonville from Chicago with her boyfriend, Marquis Williams, who played in the tournament.
Williams, 28, had already competed earlier in the day and was eliminated. The couple was about to order pizza when the shots rang out.
“The first gunshot sounded like a balloon pop,” Poindexter said. “Then after the second, third and fourth, we just saw everybody moving toward the exit.”
Poindexter jumped off her bar stool and hit the floor with the other patrons. She sprained her ankle in the process, then started crawling toward the exit.
“We saw a figure standing there with two hands on a gun, just walking back, just firing shots,” she said.
Poindexter and Williams said they’re both used to hearing about shootings around their Chicago neighborhood but they never expected to endure one at a video-game tournament.
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“I thought the possibility of this happening would be low,” Williams said. “Boy, was I wrong.”
Drini Gjoka, a gamer based in Washington D.C., escaped the restaurant with a minor injury.
“I am literally so lucky,” gamer Gjoka said in a tweet. “The bullet hit my thumb.”
He added: “Worst day of my life.”
Jacksonville Landing is an open waterfront venue with shops and restaurants along the St. Johns River. Authorities advised the public to stay far away from the scene as they continue to process evidence.
As the sun set, investigators and a swarm of media filled the surrounding roads of Independence Drive and Laura Street. Two teenagers skateboarded down a deserted street while helicopters circled above and sirens wailed in the distance.
Representatives from Moms Demand Action, a gun-control advocacy group, stood near the police line. One held a sign which asked Jacksonville leaders to "Stop the silence, end gun violence."
After the shooting, SWAT officers swept the area looking for survivors and found many people hiding in locked spaces at the venue, the sheriff’s office said.
Witnesses who had taken cover were told not to run out when authorities arrived and encouraged to call 911 so officers could locate them.
Gov. Rick Scott arrived in Jacksonville Sunday night to offer state resources and was briefed by law enforcement on the shooting, his office said. Scott has also spoken with President Donald Trump, who said federal resources are available if needed, according to the governor’s office.
Investigators located Katz’s vehicle at the venue but are working to determine where he stayed after he arrived in town for the tournament.
Anyone with information about the deadly shooting is asked to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500 or 866-845-TIPS.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said the city is in mourning, after facing “an occurrence that is all too common.”
“One violent crime in our city is one too many,” Curry told reporters. “Tonight, we pray for the wounded and we pray for the families of those who are lost.”
Michael Williams reported from Jacksonville.
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