Another shooting...

3 dead, 11 injured in mass shooting at Jacksonville video game tournament

By QUINT FORGEY

Jacksonville, Florida law enforcement have identified a 24-year-old white male suspected of killing two people Sunday during a video game competition in a downtown pizza joint and wounding nine more before turning the gun on himself.

David Katz of Baltimore, Maryland, is believed to have opened fire with at least one handgun shortly after 1:30 p.m. during a “Madden NFL 19” tournament at Chicago Pizza at Jacksonville Landing, a mall located near the city’s riverwalk, authorities said. Katz also died, police said.

In addition to the nine survivors of the attack who were struck by bullets, two more sustained injuries fleeing the restaurant, Sheriff Mike Williams said during a press conference Sunday. All of the wounded people are in stable condition, he said.

Williams said officers are aware of a video circulating on social media that shows a video game being played along with the sounds of pops similar to gunshots and voices yelling. He did not confirm the authenticity of that video but asked that the public contact police with "any additional video footage" from the event.

“Today, Jacksonville is mourning,” Mayor Lenny Curry said in a statement. “We have faced an all-too common occurrence, one that will require us to continue the hard work of ensuring public safety."

Curry added: “Tonight, we pray for the wounded and the families of those who were lost.”

The White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the shooting.

Jacksonville experienced another high-profile shooting this weekend that left one person dead and two injured after a high school football game Friday night.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio called the situation at Jacksonville Landing "horrifying" in a tweet Sunday.

The Republican lawmaker also said officials from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives "are in contact & in coordination with local authorities to provide any & all federal resources needed" to respond to the incident.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott wrote on Twitter that he had made contact with the Jacksonville sheriff’s office and Curry to offer state resources, and he said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is "currently responding" to the shooting.

"I have spoken to FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen regarding the shooting in Jacksonville," Scott wrote online. "We will continue to receive updates from law enforcement."

Scott also said he spoke with Trump, and that the president "offered any federal resources needed to respond" to the shooting.

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson lamented on Twitter the news of a new gun-related tragedy following the February mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 people dead.

"Word of another tragic mass shooting in our state brings shock and outrage," Nelson, a Democrat, wrote online. "Right now, law enforcement are doing their jobs under horrific circumstances and it’s important that people in the Jacksonville area heed their warnings."

Nelson added that he spoke to FBI officials and is ensuring "that all federal resources will be available to assist victims and their families, and to help law enforcement do their jobs."

GOP Rep. John Rutherford — a freshman congressman representing Jacksonville and a former sheriff of Florida's Duval County — wrote on Twitter that he was "horrified by what has transpired" at Jacksonville Landing and urged residents to follow law enforcement guidance "as we pray for the victims and all the emergency personnel responding to this tragedy."