Last Sunday, a downtown Jacksonville restaurant hosted a “Madden 19” gaming competition which held players from all across the country. Later into the competition, shots were fired in the restaurant killing two people and injuring 10.
24-year-old David Katz, a Baltimore native, was the shooter who participated in the tournament. Katz lost in the competition which led to his rampage that afternoon.
After Katz’s killing spree, he took his own life.
Valeria Sandoval and Kyle Johns, freshmen students at Cerritos College, expressed their thoughts on this horrific incident.
“It’s sad that no matter where you go, you are never safe because there are people out there that want to cause harm to others,” Sandoval said.
Katz’s parents told authorities that he had been hospitalized twice in psychiatric facilities for mental illness before in the past. Doctors prescribed Katz anti-psychotic and anti-depressant medications.
Johns stated that the the situation was “stupid.” He suggested that people be cautious with events like these.
Local witnesses told news reporters that the shooting took place after an apparent argument between some of the competitors. Katz possibly being one of them.
Katz had a .45 caliber, a 9mm and extra ammunition to commit the deadly shootings. Katz only used one of those weapons while the other stayed in his hotel room a couple blocks down from the restaurant.
Tristin Ventura, a sophomore student at Cerritos College, explained how small events like this should have some sort of security as well, not just big events.
“We should put a detector for weapons at every small event like this,” Ventura exclaiming.
The victims of this fatal shooting were 28-year-old father and husband, Taylor Robinson White, and former Calabasas high school football player, Elijah Clayton. Clayton was considered a top contender in Madden throughout the nation.
This Madden event is associated with the “Madden NFL 19 Championship series” which is held by EA sports. Players competed Sunday afternoon to move on to the round of 16 which will be sited in Las Vegas in October.
Founder and CEO of Complexity Gaming Jason Lake, who’s associated with EA Sports, told reporters they are considering having security at future events.
