- A mass shooting at a Madden NFL video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday left three dead, including the gunman, and 11 injured.
- Officials identified the two victims who died as Elijah Clayton, 22, and Taylor Robertson, 27.
- The suspected gunman David Katz, a 24-year-old gamer attending the tournament, died from a self-inflicted gunshot, police said.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Elijah Clayton, 22, and Taylor Robertson, 27, were killed in the shooting at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday.
Friends and fellow gamers had previously named the two men to the Los Angeles Times, Action News Jax, and Reuters, and authorities confirmed their identities Monday afternoon.
Clayton’s relatives released a statement to reporters in Jacksonville saying the family was “devastated by yet another senseless act of gun violence.” He went by the gaming alter ego TrueBoy.
His cousin, Brandi Pettijohn, said Clayton “did not believe in violence” and had “never even had a fistfight,” according to the Associated Press.
Authorities earlier identified David Katz, a 24-year-old gamer attending the tournament, as the suspect in the shooting. He is believed to have injured 11 others along with the two fatalities before shooting himself.
The gaming community rallied on social media late Sunday to pay tribute to the victims.
Crying and in so much pain. Prayers to the families of Trueboy and Spotme. All over a videogame. Two of our brothers are gone man and its so disturbing. One of the most tragic days ive experienced. This community is like family. Broken.
— PROBLEM (@ProblemWright) August 26, 2018
All over a VIDEO GAME, we lost two angels today. Spot me or Taylor Robertson was a Father and a husband. True boy Or Eli Clayton was someone’s Son and he was still young. This makes me so sick. Rest in paradise 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/CjXTesVcKl
— Good Kidd (@Yeezus_kj) August 26, 2018
One gamer, George Amadeo, who was injured during the shooting and is recovering in hospital, voiced his admiration for Clayton.
I posted a gofundme for a person in my class who died in a house fire bout a month ago.. True donated $100 and didn't even know the person. True and Spotme are 2 of the nicest people I knew. Idk what to say, nothing to say.. Prayers to their families and everyone else involved.
— Fitzmagic13 (@fitzmagic13) August 27, 2018
SpotMe: quiet family man making a living doing what he loves.
True: a young kid with a whole world of opportunity in front of him.
My heart is heavy, today we lost 2 champions. Rest in paradise, brothers.
My condolences to those effected.
— Volt (@Go_On_Volt) August 26, 2018
The gaming community is reeling from the shooting, which took place at about 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday in Jacksonville.
The tournament, playing the video game “Madden NFL 19”, took place at a bar in the Jacksonville Landing outdoor mall and was hosted by the game publisher Electronic Arts.
The event was the first of four regional qualifiers for the Madden Championship event scheduled for later this year in Las Vegas. The event featured several professional players as well as dozens of aspiring esports players.
Katz went by the nickname “Bread” in the gaming world. The police are still looking for a motive and whether Katz knew the victims.
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