In the killer’s sights
Four dead in shooting at video game tournament broadcast on internet
SURVIVOR Drini Gjoka AT least four people were killed and 11 wounded yesterday when a gunman opened fire at a video games tournament as it was broadcast live on the internet.
The mass shooting broke out as players of Madden NFL 19 took part in a contest at a restaurant in The Landing, Jacksonville, Florida.
According to one competitor, Steven “Steveyj” Javaruski, the killer was a disgruntled gamer who was involved in the tournament and then lost.
He is said to have “targeted a few people” and shot them before turning the weapon on himself.
Police confirmed a suspect was found dead and it was reported they were hunting a possible second shooter.
An online stream from the tournament broadcast a match taking place at 2pm local time, with a smaller window showing players engrossed in the game.
At one point a red laser sight appears to float across the chest of one male gamer in a red sweatshirt, before the footage cuts out.
It is not clear if that player was among the wounded, but screams and gunshots could clearly be heard as the audio stream continued.
One person is heard to say: “What’s he shooting with?” A gamer who was attending the event, Drini Gjoka, was What appears to be laser sight on player
shot in the hand and tweeted as he was caught up in the incident.
He wrote: “The tourney just got shot up. I’m leaving and never coming back.
“I am literally so lucky. The bullet hit my thumb.”
The sheriff ’s office said many people were taken to hospital and its deputies were finding people hiding in locked areas at The Landing, a large shopping and dining complex.
It tweeted: “We ask you to stay calm, stay where you are hiding.
“SWAT is doing a methodical search. We will get to you. Please don’t come running out.
Local news footage showed several ambulances, as well as firefighters and police at the scene. The road was blocked off in the downtown area.
The shooter targeted the Madden NFL 19 Southeastern Qualifier Tournament, which comes with a prize equivalent to €4,300 dollars.
Madden 19 is the latest NFL American football video game to be released by software giant EA Sports.
The company said it was working with authorities to gather facts.
“This is a horrible situation, and our deepest sympathies go out to all involved,” it added on Twitter.
President Donald Trump has been briefed and was monitoring the situation in Jacksonville, the White House said. Police cars outside scene of the carnage in Jacksonville, Florida, yesterday