It’s not a surprise when people get emotionally worked up at sporting events. Go to any football game, hockey game, baseball game, etc. and at some point you’ll see people on their feet either delighted that something happened good for their team or upset for the opposite reason. You’ll hear people praising the referees and cussing them less than ten minutes later. Those same responses can be observed in a lot of sports bars when big games are being televised. What made the shooting at the Jacksonville Landing different was that it was done during a video game tournament of a football based video game. Read that again: this was an attack committed during a video game tournament. Two people were killed, ten more wounded and the shooter killed himself.
On August 16, 2018 just after lunch time (about 1:30pm), the gunman identified as David Katz, entered the location with a handgun, reportedly fired twelve rounds, killing two and wounding ten more (a 100% hit rate which is unheard of typically) and then killed himself. According to the post-event investigation, the handgun was one of two that he had brought to the location, apparently having left both in his car.
Katz had been a participant in the tournament and had reportedly lost a game. Witnesses reported that Katz was very upset about having lost and refused to shake hands with his opponent, the victor in the game. Katz is reported to have left the establishment, going out to get one of the two guns he had available, and returning to begin his attack. Allegedly, according to one witness, his first victim was the opponent who beat him in the game. After shooting that individual, Katz reportedly began randomly firing around the location, hitting eleven other people, one of the fatally (in addition to the opponent he murdered). Investigation revealed the two fatalities, ten wounded by gunfire and an eleventh wounded/injured without specification. Likely the injury was caused in the mad rush of people trying to vacate the establishment in a panic.
As is all too common with active killer events today, video of the shooting was captured (by the event’s Twitch stream) and uploaded to YouTube. Also all too common today, word of the attack circulated on social media outlets from the various players and observers at almost the same time as the calls to 9-1-1 were made. Police response was reported as two minutes from the time of the first 9-1-1 call. Because of the business’ waterfront location, the Coast Guard also responded to visually sweep the adjacent water ways for bodies, injured, etc.
Post event, the FBI got involved as Katz was from Baltimore, MD and had traveled to Jacksonville in possession of his two legally owned handguns. Because the investigation spanned the two different states, the FBI did assist with the investigation.
David Katz was 24 years old at the time of the attack and was reportedly a “professional” video gamer. The two handguns he had brought to Florida with him were both reportedly legally purchased. One was chambered for .45ACP and the other in 9mm.
Not surprising in today’s litigious world, one of the players in the video game tournament sued EA games, the host of the event. The suit was based on questioning the safety of those involved and what the sponsoring company had done to insure the players’ safety. Electronic Arts (EA) later cancelled three other live tournaments until a full evaluation of safety and security protocols could be completed. Other companies that held or hosted live video game tournaments announced that they would take extra security precautions at their events to increase the safety of the players and attendees who merely observe. EA is reported to have donated $1M to support the victims of the shooting and had indicated it would set up a fund others could contribute to as well.
Katz committed his attack, probably without any consideration or awareness of this circumstance, just over two days after the Florida polls had closed for the gubernatorial primary elections. There’s no doubt that such a public event, with video available online DURING the attack, no less, became big political talking points for candidates - both those who won and who lost.
Information from the post-event investigation make no mention of Katz having had any previous criminal activity or indication of violent behavior on his part. The two handguns were reportedly legally purchased in his home of Baltimore.
This attack, like others, should serve as a reminder to everyone that mass violence with multiple victims can occur in any public venue, at any time, with very little motivating circumstance. Katz was a 24-year-old adult male, an alleged professional video gamer, who lost a game. No mention of what prize he may have lost is made, but it boggles the mind to think that he’d gotten that far without having encountered the reality of losing before. That his response to a loss was to murder the person who beat him and then randomly shoot eleven other people, killing one of them as well, is an indicator of how easy it may be for some people to be inspired to violence.
The lesson to be learned is a reminder that situational awareness and personal safety is the response of each of us; each individual. Ponder how often. You’ve been in a sports bar during a big game event and someone has been angry about a call or result. Were you aware of the nearest exit? What around you constituted concealment (hide you) versus cover (stop bullets)? Did you know what was nearby that you could use as an improvised weapon with which to defend yourself? These are things we all need to think about and skills we should develop on an on-going basis.
