Aug. 27 (UPI) — A witness to the shooting attack at a Jacksonville, Fla., restaurant Sunday said the assailant’s motivation was revenge for a loss at a video game tournament.
David Katz, 24, of Baltimore, is the suspect, police said.
Investigators said two people were shot to death before Katz turned the gun on himself. Nine other people were injured, all in stable condition.
Katz was a participant in a Madden NFL 19 video game tournament, in which simulated football games were played. The competition took place on Sunday afternoon in a Chicago Pizza location at Jacksonville Landing, a waterfront shopping mall.
About a dozen gunshots can be heard in audio of the competition, which was streamed on the Internet. A red dot, similar to a laser pointer, can be seen on one player before the shots are heard, WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, reported.
The shooter used “at least one handgun” during the shooting, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said. He did not confirm the witnesses’ explanation of a motive, but said police officers were on the scene within two minutes of a 911 call.
SWAT teams and bomb disposal teams conducted a methodical search of the mall but did not find additional gunmen.
A Twitter message from the winning team in 2017 identified Katz as the winner of the Madden tournament, held that year in Buffalo.
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