"I was so scared, angry and sad."Īs of Sunday night, police had not yet named any of the deceased or injured victims. "Once I noticed the laser on his chest I knew what happened," Taylor said in a Twitter DM. Just before the shooting began, the live-stream captured a bright dot of light crawling up his chest. Taylor recognized his client, who was wearing a red sweatshirt and white headphones. That's when he saw the tweets saying "Rest in peace." Then, he saw the video. He messaged one of his new clients over Twitter to see if he was OK. The competitor has not been identified, and it's unclear whether he was hit.Ĭlay Taylor, an esports agent based in Ontario, Canada, heard about the shooting while on vacation with his family. It showed a red laser dot briefly appearing on a competitor's sweatshirt before the camera angle switched back to the video game and more than a dozen gunshots rang out. Video believed to be from a live-stream of the competition on the gaming platform Twitch circulated on social media after the shooting. "All of us at Electronic Arts are devastated by this horrific event, and we also join the community in thanking the first responders who were quickly on the scene." "Our most heartfelt sympathies go out to the families of the victims whose lives were taken today and those who were injured." "The tragic situation that occurred Sunday in Jacksonville was a senseless act of violence that we strongly condemn," the company said. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) Esports analytics firm Newzoo estimates the audience will reach 380 million people in 2018.Įlectronic Arts, the digital interactive entertainment company in charge of the tournament, said it was aware of the shooting and is cooperating with law enforcement. The competitors and their fans often form tightknit communities, discussing the intricacies of the game and the latest developments of leagues via online video platforms like YouTube and Twitch, as well as social media. Some esports leagues have formalized contracts that pay players an annual salary, sometimes in the five-figure range. Players train regularly and rigorously for such events, with top professionals dedicating dozens of hours a week to practicing their preferred game. It was unclear how many players were in the mall when the shooting occurred. The Jacksonville event was a regional qualifier leading to an October final in Las Vegas, with a top prize of $25,000. Others, like the Madden event in Jacksonville, are smaller tournaments leading up to larger events later in the calendar year. The tournaments vary in size and scope, some running several hours at informal locations, while others span multiple days and pack professional stadiums for championship events that can carry prize purses in the millions. They include sports-based titles, like Madden as well as real-time strategy games, fighting games or first-person shooter simulations.Ĭompetitors usually concentrate on one game or at least limit themselves to a certain genre. Esports events and leagues are usually organized around a popular video game title. Prominent esports players carry endorsement deals and legions of fans, much like professional athletes do. At 10:45 p.m., they announced that they had cleared the scene.Įsports tournaments such as the Sunday event involve professional competitors vying for prize money in games that are often streamed to thousands of online spectators. On Twitter, the FBI's Baltimore field office confirmed that they had been assisting the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and ATF with the investigation in South Baltimore. Knauer said he knew nothing about David Katz. Knauer was out when authorities started to search the house around 6 p.m. He described the father as "a really nice guy." He added, "I feel sorry for him." Speaking of the shooting, he said, "it truly is a tragedy." An upstairs light turned off as reporters stood outside.Ī neighbor, Jerry Knauer, said his wife last saw David Katz about two weeks ago. "I said, 'Absolutely that's him.'"Īt 10:30 p.m., five police officials, including ATF agents, left the Katz home. Munoz said an FBI agent showed him a picture of Katz.
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