A mass shooting at a video game tournament in Jacksonville Florida on Sunday saw 3 people dead at the scene, including a single suspect who took his own life, said Mike Williams, the sheriff of Jacksonville.
Shots were fired during a live stream of “Madden NFL 19” tournament at a downtown shopping-dining complex. “Madden tournament getting shot up on twitch,” posted Twitter user Anakron, who shared the live stream of the video game. Gun shots and yelling can be heard in the background before the controller disconnects.
The suspect has been identified as David Katz, a 24-year-old from Baltimore, said Williams, adding that he was “was here for the competition.” He did not specify if the suspect was enrolled in the competition.
In a briefing at 7:15 ET, the Jacksonville sheriff confirmed there were 11 other victims who were wounded in the attack. Most of them had gunshot wounds but were all in a stable condition, Williams added.
Early reports say the shooting began at the Good Luck Have Fun Video game room inside Chicago Pizza, according to WJXT News4Jax.
The CEO of Complexity Gaming, which has a team of professional players at the event, said that one of his players had been shot in the thumb.
Electronic Arts, the maker of the game, tweeted that it was working with authorities to gather facts:
In a statement, the National Football League said, “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific tragedy today in Jacksonville. Our hearts go out to all those affected. We are grateful for the first responders immediately on the scene. We support our partners at EA Sports and will continue to monitor developments with local law enforcement.”
New York Mets star Tim Tebow, who has ties to Jacksonville, tweeted about the incident.
March for Our Lives, an organization of gun-control activists started by students in the wake of a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, in February released a statement.
