8:02 am | August 30, 2018 | Go to Source | Author:
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Hundreds gathered to participate in a candlelight vigil at the Jacksonville Landing on Wednesday, three days after a gunman opened fire at a video game tournament, killing two and injuring 11 others.
Jacksonville police identified David Katz, of Columbia, Maryland, as the shooter. He was 24.
Katz was competing in a Madden NFL 19 Classic qualifier tournament at the GLHF Game Bar, a subsection of Chicago Pizza in the Landing, on Sunday when he opened fire on attendees. Police said Katz died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Cliff Camastro, the owner of Chicago Pizza and GLHF Game Bar, attended Wednesday’s vigil and addressed the community in person for the first time since the shooting.
“Everything that goes on from here, I can guarantee you we will not let this guy win,” Camastro said. “The evil he had, everything we saw that he did to these people and these families, it’s unbearable. It’s hard to even, sometimes, wake up here. It’s been hard.”
At the vigil, which was organized by the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, a group sold T-shirts that read, “Jax Will Respawn,” a reference to the gaming term that means to return to life.
Vigil participants laid candles in front of the restaurant and listened to a performance by a local musician.
Electronic Arts (EA) announced it will contribute $1 million to the victims of the shooting, as well as the families of the two men who were killed: Taylor “SpotMePlzzz” Robertson, 27, and Elijah “Trueboy” Clayton, 22. Electronic Arts also will host a tribute livestream on Sept. 6.
“The events last weekend in Jacksonville will impact the gaming community forever,” Electronic Arts said in a statement. “We can’t begin to understand the pain so many are going through, nor do we pretend to have all the answers that will help us through the healing process.”
On Wednesday, Chicago Pizza was served with two cease-and-desist notices from the Jacksonville Fire Marshal, citing an obstruction of the exit and a lack of permit for the game room. The City of Jacksonville claimed that Chicago Pizza never filed its intentions to convert that portion of the restaurant to the GLHF Game Bar.
Signs that were posted outside the restaurant indicated it would reopen soon.
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