Two people were killed and 11 more were injured when a gunman opened fire at a video game tournament Sunday afternoon in Jacksonville, Florida, authorities said.The shooter — identified asDavid Katz, 24, of Baltimore — took his own life at the scene, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams announced at a Sunday evening news conference.Katz attended the tournament but authorities have not discussed a motive, according to Williams, who cited the ongoing investigation. He used one handgun.Of the 11 victims hospitalized, nine had gunshot wounds, Williams said. All were described as being in stable condition.The shooting was first reported at 1:34 p.m. Williams said it occurred at a tournament for the football video game Madden NFL 19 inside Chicago Pizza at the Jacksonville Landing, a collection of shops and restaurants along the St. Johns River.Previous publicity for the event, however, said it was held at the GLHF Game Bar, which shares a door with the pizzeria.The venue was crowded at the time but not packed, Williams said, with occupancy “nowhere near” its capacity of about 240.Laura Heald/AP/REX/ShutterstockA series of 12 gunshots was recorded on the tournament’s live video stream, where a voice could be heard saying, “Oh, f—, what’d he shoot me with?” while others screamed.Williams said Sunday night that authorities had obtained the footage and were asking the public for any additional video, but he did not specify which clips police have watched.The names of the victims have not been announced.A search of the gunman’s vehicle is pending, Williams said.Officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI were assisting in Baltimore, he said. More information about the shooter was expected to be released later Sunday night.The assault in Jacksonville is the latest example ofAmerica’s endemic mass shootings.It comes about one month after a shootingat theCapital Gazettein Marylandkilled five people. A month before that,10 people were killed at Santa Fe High Schoolin Texas. Three months before that,17 people were fatally shot at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Schoolin Florida.Laura Heald/AP/REX/ShutterstockLaura Heald/AP/REX/ShutterstockOne tournament participant, 19-year-old Drini Gjoka, wroteon Twitterthat he’d been shot in the thumb: “The tourney just got shot up. [I’m leaving] and never coming back.”Gjorka added in separate tweets, “I amliterally so lucky. The bullet hit my thumb,” and “Worstday of my life.”Jason Lake, CEO and founder of Gjoka’s employer, compLexity Gaming, was watching the live-stream of the tournament when he heard the shooting.“You have that hesitation where you’re like, ‘There’s no way it could be gunfire,’ ” Lake tells PEOPLE.Lake says he saw Gjoka’s tweets before he was able to talk with him, describing the situation as “surreal.”Speaking to reporters alongside Sheriff Williams on Sunday night, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said the city “is mourning.”“We have faced an occurrence that is all too common and will require us to do the hard work of public safety to make sure that people are safe,” Curry said, adding, “Tonight we pray for the wounded and we pray for the families for those who are lost.”• With ADAM CARLSON and GREG HANLON
Two people were killed and 11 more were injured when a gunman opened fire at a video game tournament Sunday afternoon in Jacksonville, Florida, authorities said.
The shooter — identified asDavid Katz, 24, of Baltimore — took his own life at the scene, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams announced at a Sunday evening news conference.
Katz attended the tournament but authorities have not discussed a motive, according to Williams, who cited the ongoing investigation. He used one handgun.
Of the 11 victims hospitalized, nine had gunshot wounds, Williams said. All were described as being in stable condition.
The shooting was first reported at 1:34 p.m. Williams said it occurred at a tournament for the football video game Madden NFL 19 inside Chicago Pizza at the Jacksonville Landing, a collection of shops and restaurants along the St. Johns River.
Previous publicity for the event, however, said it was held at the GLHF Game Bar, which shares a door with the pizzeria.
The venue was crowded at the time but not packed, Williams said, with occupancy “nowhere near” its capacity of about 240.
Laura Heald/AP/REX/Shutterstock
A series of 12 gunshots was recorded on the tournament’s live video stream, where a voice could be heard saying, “Oh, f—, what’d he shoot me with?” while others screamed.
Williams said Sunday night that authorities had obtained the footage and were asking the public for any additional video, but he did not specify which clips police have watched.
The names of the victims have not been announced.
A search of the gunman’s vehicle is pending, Williams said.
Officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI were assisting in Baltimore, he said. More information about the shooter was expected to be released later Sunday night.
The assault in Jacksonville is the latest example ofAmerica’s endemic mass shootings.
It comes about one month after a shootingat theCapital Gazettein Marylandkilled five people. A month before that,10 people were killed at Santa Fe High Schoolin Texas. Three months before that,17 people were fatally shot at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Schoolin Florida.
One tournament participant, 19-year-old Drini Gjoka, wroteon Twitterthat he’d been shot in the thumb: “The tourney just got shot up. [I’m leaving] and never coming back.”
Gjorka added in separate tweets, “I amliterally so lucky. The bullet hit my thumb,” and “Worstday of my life.”
Jason Lake, CEO and founder of Gjoka’s employer, compLexity Gaming, was watching the live-stream of the tournament when he heard the shooting.
“You have that hesitation where you’re like, ‘There’s no way it could be gunfire,’ ” Lake tells PEOPLE.
Lake says he saw Gjoka’s tweets before he was able to talk with him, describing the situation as “surreal.”
Speaking to reporters alongside Sheriff Williams on Sunday night, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said the city “is mourning.”
“We have faced an occurrence that is all too common and will require us to do the hard work of public safety to make sure that people are safe,” Curry said, adding, “Tonight we pray for the wounded and we pray for the families for those who are lost.”
• With ADAM CARLSON and GREG HANLON
source: people.com
