A Jacksonville native
who plays for the Orlando Magic’s competitive video game team wants safer environments at competitions after a shooting in his hometown leaves three gamers dead.
A Jacksonville native who plays for the Orlando Magic’s competitive video game team wants safer environments at competitions after a shooting in his hometown left two competitors and the gunman dead Sunday.
“As a pro gamer, when I go to an event, I feel a little bit more unsafe now knowing it was a fellow competitor that shot those people,” said Chris Cantrell, 21, who competes for the team in the NBA 2K League under the gamer tag KontruL. “We need to beef up security and have a better system in place.”
Eleven people were injured and three died after David Katz, 24, of Baltimore, opened fire during a qualifying tournament for Madden NFL 19 at the Jacksonville Landing entertainment complex.
Magic Gaming teammate Brian “Nacho” Traynor contacted Cantrell on Twitter to make sure he was OK, Cantrell said.
“Video games are supposed to be for people to escape from violence and everyday life,” he said. “It’s about having fun and making friends. It’s a community where I never thought this would happen.”
Cantrell, who at one time competed professionally in Madden, had never met the victims — 22-year-old Eli Clayton of Woodland Hills, Calif., and 27-year-old Taylor Robertson of Ballard, W.Va.
But Cantrell had struck up a friendship with one of the wounded in the Jacksonville shooting. Fellow NBA 2K player Timothy Anselimo, who played with the Milwaukee Bucks’ esports team under the gamer tag OLARRY, will need surgery after getting shot in the hip, chest and hand, Cantrell said.
As it unfolded, Cantrell said he saw Anselimo’s mother frantically posting on Twitter, seeking information about her son.
Anselimo’s hand surgery will be particularly important because it could determine if he ever plays competitively again, Cantrell said.
Esports events can get heated, as players generally sit side-byside as they compete.
But the trash talking that can play a big role in an event’s energy usually ends once the game is over, Cantrell said.
“I’ve been involved in it,” he said. “Everybody wants to win. I have talked to some of the biggest trash talkers but after the game, we’re still good friends.
“It’s definitely a scary feeling to know that my hometown has to deal with this crime,” he added. “The shooting is going to have an impact on not just Jacksonville but the whole gaming community.”