Two Killed in Shooting at Jacksonville Landing Video Game Tournament -- Security Today

Two Killed in Shooting at Jacksonville Landing Video Game Tournament

Two people were killed and several others were injured by a gunman at a Madden 19 tournament in Jacksonville, Fla.

By Sydny Shepard
Aug 27, 2018

Two people were killed and 11 others were injured when a gunman open fired in a restaurant hosting an esports video game tournament on Sunday, August 25.

Fifty to 100 people were gathered inside a restaurant at The Landing, an open-air marketplace in Jacksonville, Fla., when shots rang out. Calls to 911 were placed at 1:34 p.m. and first responders arrived on the scene two minutes later.

According to police, there were three deceased people at the scene when they arrived — two victims and the suspected shooter, a 24-year-old white male who police believe traveled from Baltimore, Md. to participate in the Madden 19 video game tournament. Police have not released a motive for the shooting, but did say the suspect brought at least one handgun to carry out the shooting.

Nine victims were transferred to local hospitals with gun shot wounds. Two others got themselves to a hospital with injuries stemming from the mass chaos of the event.

The shooting unfolded in the middle of the tournament, while it was being livestreamed on Twitch, a popular video game streaming website. The video captured audio of the incident as it happened: people screaming, shots ringing out, one person cried out, "What did he shoot me with?"

Police worked closely with ATF and law enforcement in Baltimore as they closed in on the suspect's home in Maryland. Police believe that the gunman came to Jacksonville with the sole intention of participating in the video game tournament, but it was not immediately clear if he had taken a flight with his gun checked. Investigators were also looking for clues as to where he stayed the night before the tournament.

The shooting is the last in a long string of public mass shootings in Florida: a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland earlier this year; five people were gunned down at the Fort Lauderdale airport last year; and 49 people were shot dead at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in 2016.

"We have got to change," Gov. Rick Scott told reporters on Sunday night. "We've got to really stop and say to ourselves: there's something wrong. Why are young men willing to give up their life, or why don't they value somebody else's life?"

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

Report: Only 44 Percent of Organizations are Fully Equipped to Support Secure AI

Delinea recently published new research on the impact of artificial intelligence in reshaping identity security. According to the report, “AI in Identity Security Demands a New Playbook,” only 44% of organizations say their security architecture is fully equipped to support secure AI, despite widespread confidence in their current capabilities. Read Now
- Artificial Intelligence
Interface Systems Enhances Safety and Communication at Texas Church and School

Interface Systems, a managed service provider delivering business security, actionable insights, and purpose-built networks for multi-location businesses, today announced the successful completion of a major security upgrade for Bethesda Community Church and Bethesda Christian School in Fort Worth, Texas. Read Now
- Facility Security
ASIS International Introduces ANSI-Approved School Security Standard

ASIS International, a leading authority in security standards, is excited to announce the release of its American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-approved standard designed to provide a framework for developing, implementing, maintaining, and improving school security. The first comprehensive standard of its kind provides a critical benchmark for assessing and improving a school’s security posture regardless of size and funding. Read Now
- Education Security
Survey: Nearly Half of Employees Hide Workplace AI Use

Laserfiche, a SaaS provider of intelligent content management and business process automation, recently released new survey findings on AI adoption in the workplace, revealing that nearly half of Americans (49%) who use AI at work keep it to themselves, with 15% deliberately avoiding telling their manager. Read Now
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cybersecurity
46% of Enterprise Passwords Are Vulnerable to Cracking

Picus Security recently released The Blue Report™ 2025, based on more than 160 million real-world attack simulations. Now in its third year, the report provides a data-driven assessment of how well security controls perform against today’s threats — and this year’s findings are the most concerning to date. Read Now
- Cybersecurity

Security Today eNews

Sign up today for essential industry news and product information that can help you stay afloat in the fast-paced world of security.

Email Address*Country*

Please type the letters/numbers you see above.

Webinars

Whitepapers

New Products

FEP GameChanger

Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.
AC Nio

Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.
EasyGate SPT SPD

Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.