During a Madden NFL 19 video game tournament on Sunday, in Jacksonville, Florida, a 24-year-old gunman fired several shots and wounded nine people, killed two and himself too.
According to a CNN report, the gunman was identified as David Katz of Baltimore, Maryland, who was visiting Jacksonville for the first of four Madden NFL 19 Classic qualifier events at the GLHF Game Bar.
This is a horrible situation, and our deepest sympathies go out to all involved.
— Madden NFL 22 (@EAMaddenNFL) August 26, 2018
The top two finishers at each of the events were to receive a spot in the Round of 16 in the Madden Classic main event in Las Vegas, Nevada in October.
The incident just adds on to a long history of gun violence reported in United States. One of those injured in the attacks, 19-year-old Drini Gjoka, tweeted the following.
The tourney just got shot up. Im leavinng and never coming back
— Drini (@Drini) August 26, 2018
I am literally so lucky. The bullet hit my thumb
— Drini (@Drini) August 26, 2018
Other popular gamers also came out in support of those affected by the unfortunate tragedy of the gaming competition.
My heart goes out to the family, friends and people affected by the madden shooting today. Evil times we live in, just need to out shine that evil with positivity.
Love you all
— Ninja (@Ninja) August 26, 2018
What remains to be seen is that how these turn of events will shape the future of this Madden NFL 19 and other such gaming events. The next round was scheduled to be hosted in Dulles, Virginia from September 1-2.
This Jacksonville shooting at the Madden NFL 19 competition only makes it clearer that easy access to guns and fewer regulations surrounding them might be one of the root causes of the gun violence issue countrywide.
We have a gun problem.
— Marcel (@BasicallyIDoWrk) August 26, 2018
“The nation once again looks to Florida with grief and heavy hearts. The massacre in Jacksonville is a tragic reminder of the threats we face from gun violence, no matter who we are or where our day takes us. And it’s yet another devastating indictment of this country’s inability to keep our kids safe,” says former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and co-founder of the gun violence prevention organization Giffords.
“We do not have to accept these horrific acts of violence as routine. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this shooting, their families, and their friends.”
While a lot of gun owners argued on Twitter that guns aren’t a reason for such incidents, such shoddy regulations surrounding them, especially in states like Florida, seems to be a factor in frequent gun violence in the country.
