Update, Monday 8 p.m.:
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office identified the two deceased victims from Sunday’s mass shooting.
Elijah Clayton, 22, of Woodland Hills, California, and Taylor Robertson, 28, of Giles, West Virginia, were killed during a Madden 19 gaming tournament in the Jacksonville Landing, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Eleven other victims were injured, 10 of whom were shot. All injured victims are expected to recover, Sheriff Mike Williams said Monday afternoon during a media briefing.
About 130 people were inside the building at the time, but the shooter only targeted gamers who were in a backroom of the restaurant participating in the tournament, Williams said.
The shooter carried two handguns, which were legally bought in Baltimore, and extra ammunition inside the restaurant but only fired one gun, Williams said.
The shooter had a prior relationship with some of the victims who frequently travel to gaming events, Williams said. An official motive is still unknown.
Timothy Anselino, a 26-year-old professional gamer from Tampa, was shot in the chest, leg and hand but survived, said his mother Sujeil Lopez during a media briefing at UF Health Shands in Jacksonville Monday afternoon.
UF Health Shands in Jacksonville treated all six patients from the shooting, said Dr. Marie Crandall, a UF Health trauma surgeon.
Four patients were released Sunday and two, including Anselino, stayed overnight.
At the time of the briefing, Anselino was in surgery for his hand.
Lopez traveled three hours from Tampa to Jacksonville with little information about what happened, she said. She only knew two people were dead.
Anselino’s half-brother was watching him play on a livestream when he heard shots in the background, Lopez said. He called Anselino twice to ask what happened.
“My son told him, ‘I was shot. Tell my mother I love her,’” Lopez said. “And the phone went dead.”
He was shot twice and fell while running away with a friend. He was able to jump a fence, but was shot a third time, Lopez said.
Lopez doesn’t know if her son can use his hand again to play video games professionally. Anselino’s spirits are low, she said.
“If you lost your hand and couldn’t do what you love, it’d be a devastation to you,” she said.
Original story:
Three people, including the suspected shooter, are dead after a mass shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, as of Sunday night.
The shooting occurred inside the Chicago Pizza restaurant in The Jacksonville Landing, a waterfront entertainment complex, during a “Madden NFL 19” video game tournament around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said in a press conference Sunday night.
The alleged shooter fired on himself, Williams said. One handgun was used.
Eleven people sustained gunshot injuries and two others were injured while fleeing, according to a tweet from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at about 9 pm. on Sunday. All injured victims are in stable condition.
The Sheriff’s Office did not release the names of the dead victims.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Offices believe the suspect was 24-year-old David Katz, of Baltimore. FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are confirming his identity, according to the sheriff’s office. The motive is unknown.
The suspected shooter came to Jacksonville to compete in the gaming competition, Sheriff Williams said. Deputies found and impounded the shooter’s car and believe he stayed somewhere locally overnight.
The moment of the shooting was caught on a livestream of two gamers competing. The video was cut off after several gunshots sounded off.
Police received 911 calls at 1:34 p.m. about a shooting. Law enforcement responded within two minutes, according to the sheriff’s office.
The restaurant had several people inside but was not full, Williams said. Nearby businesses were shut down and evacuated.
Six people were taken to UF Health in Jacksonville, said spokesperson Dan Leveton in an email. Three individuals were treated at Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, said hospital spokesperson Pete Moberg.
One person was released from Baptist Medical Center after being treated for a minor injury, said spokesperson Cindy Hamilton.
SWAT searched the area for people hiding in The Jacksonville Landing, some of whom have been found in locked areas. The sheriff’s office told people to avoid the area and to call 911 if they were still in hiding on Twitter.
Contact Amanda Rosa at arosa@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @AmandaNicRosa
Police barricade a street near the Jacksonville Landing in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018. Florida authorities are reporting multiple fatalities after a mass shooting at the riverfront mall in Jacksonville that was hosting a video game tournament. (AP Photo/Laura Heald)
