The esports community suffered a multi-fatality shooting that aired live on Twitch when one gamer opened fire on a Madden NFL 19 tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, killing two innocent players and injuring 11 more before using the gun to end his own life.
The two victims who lost their lives were identified as 27-year-old Taylor “Spotmeplzzz” Robertson of West Virginia and 22-year-old Eli “Trueboy” Clayton of Woodland Hills, California, both of whom were playing in the tournament.
The tournament was the first of four qualifier events for the Madden NFL 19 Classic, and was held at the GLHF Game Bar inside a Chicago Pizza at The Landing, a waterfront complex in downtown Jacksonville.
Competitors from across the United States were participating with hopes of reaching the Madden Classic in Las Vegas this October, an event with a $165,000 prize pool where the winner could earn $25,000 and a spot in the Madden Bowl, the crowning event of the Madden 19 Championship, which offers $100,000 to the winner.
According to Clayton’s own Twitter feed, he made a last-minute decision to travel to Florida from California to compete. Clayton can be seen on a video of the Twitch steam from the event providing commentary with a smile on his face before a red dot from a laser site appears on his chest moments before his life was ended.
Same had a change of heart .. Ima be there ?? https://t.co/YHTAu2cRgk
— True (@True__818) August 20, 2018
The shooter has been identified as David Katz, a 24-year-old participant in the tournament who went by the gamer handle “Bread.”
Chaos Captured on Livestream
As with many video game tournaments, this one was being streamed live for fans to watch on Twitch, the most popular platform for gamers to broadcast their own play. The livestream captured the moment of the shooting, as gunshots can be heard in the middle of a game that is quickly abandoned. A haunting message appears — “Controller Disconnected” — while live audio still plays in the background as Twitch viewers type in comments about the chaos they hear taking place.
“I heard the first pop and was pretty sure it was a gunshot,” Stephen Javaruski, a 22-year-old from Clearwater who was unharmed in the shooting, told the Tampa Bay Times. “Then the second shortly after, and I scrambled frantically to the bathroom with like 20 other guys.”
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said Katz turned his handgun on himself after firing on tournament attendees. Police say they received a number of 911 calls, with officers responding to the scene within two minutes.
Victims Well-Known Madden Players
Many of the participants in the tournament, including both the gunman and his victims, had found success in the Madden community.
Robertson, who was married with a young son, won last year’s Madden Classic. Clayton played in the Madden 18 Ultimate League, making the playoffs.
“I’ve been getting recognized more often this year. It’s pretty cool, I guess,” Clayton told EA Sports earlier this year. “I’m really easy to get along with, I’m not a trouble maker. I’m always laughing and joking around.”
Meanwhile, Katz was best known for winning the Madden 17 Club Championship for the Buffalo Bills. According to one of the competitors who beat Katz in the Jacksonville tournament, while Katz is a “well-known competitor,” he had been acting oddly throughout the weekend.
“He didn’t speak to anybody,” the unnamed gamer told Action News Jax. “Even after we played, I beat him, I went to shake his hand and tell him ‘good game,’ and he just looked at me. He didn’t say anything.”
EA Sports, the company that manufactures the Madden series of NFL video games and sanctioned the tournament, released a statement offering condolences to the victims of the shooting.
“We are working with authorities to gather facts at this stage,” EA Sports said in a tweet. “This is a horrible situation, and our deepest sympathies go out to all involved.
