The names of the two victims of Sunday’s shooting in Jacksonville, Florida have been released by the Sheriff’s Office this Monday. Taylor Robertson, 28, and Elijah Clayton, 22, were two of the participants in yesterday’s Madden NFL 19 qualifying tournament and victims of a gunman’s attack.
Three deaths resulted in the shooting when a gunman entered GLHF Game Bar where the Madden tournament was taking place, including that of the gunman, who turned the gun on himself. Nine others were injured. Clayton was currently playing in the tournament which was being streamed and disturbing footage of the event unfolding has since gone viral.
In a statement from Clayton’s cousin Brandi Pettijohn, her and her family are “devastated by yet another senseless act of gun violence. Every person who has stood in this position has said that they never thought this would happen to their family, and we are no different.”
Statements were also released from Robertson’s eSports team Dot City Gaming as well as the Tennessee Titans mourning the loss of Robertson. The Titans quoted Robertson as being a "husband, father and passionate Titans fan who represented us honorably each time he competed." He was the father of a two year old boy.
Both Clayton "Trueboy" and Robertson "SpotmePlzzz" were competitive Madden players, each having their own history within Madden tournaments. Clayton from Woodland Hills, California placed in the top five in the Madden NFL 17 Classic and was the sixth highest earner in competitive Madden. He won $5,000 from placing 25th in the Madden Championship in 2017 and was saving money earned from playing in tournaments for college. Robertson from Ballard, West Virginia was the winner of the Madden NFL 17 Classic and he also competed in the Madden NFL 18 Club Championship on the Titan’s behalf.
Court records show that gunman David Katz, 24, had been hospitalized twice in the past in psychiatric facilities for mental illness. He had been prescribed anti-psychotic and anti-depressant medications, though records of divorce filings from his parents show that the two were in disagreement as to how to take care of their son’s mental illness. Katz's father believed that his ex-wife exaggerated the extent of their son’s mental illness in a means to influence an ongoing custody battle.
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams wouldn’t comment as to why Katz open fired, though he was attending the tournament at the GLHF Game Bar. A motive has not yet been disclosed to the public, though we will likely hear more as news surrounding the event unfolds.
Source: ESPN