In the wake of the tragic shooting at a Madden NFL 19 tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, Electronic Arts has set up a fund for the victims and contributed $1 million. The shooting took place at the Good Luck Have Fun Game Bar on August 26, with two tournament competitors killed and a further ten injured. The shooter was a professional Madden player who is believed to have been motivated by his anger at losing in the tournament, and who ended the shooting by committing suicide.
The world of esports has been left shaken by the violence, and EA Sports promptly cancelled the three remaining Madden tournaments, in order to give them time to review security protocols. CEO Andrew Wilson said in his statement, "Our teams have been working non-stop to do what we can to respond to this terrible situation."
Related: Mass Shooting At Madden 19 Tournament In Florida Leaves Multiple Dead
EA today announced the Jacksonville Tribute, a fund to which the company has already contributed $1 million for the victims of the shooting and the families of those who were killed, Taylor Robertson and Elijah Clayton. The Tribute will include a livestream event that will take place on September 6, which is intended to offer a way for people to "support the victims, and to show that this horrific event will not define us, but only serve to make our community stronger." The livestream will presumably involve fundraising efforts that will allow people to contribute to the fund. Read EA's full statement below.
At this point the facts about the Jacksonville shooting are still emerging, and those who were injured are still recovering. Gamers have responded with an outpouring of grief, particularly for Robertson and Clayton, who were prominent players within the Madden NFL community and went by the gamer names SpotMe and Trueboy, respectively. A GoFundMe campaign by their fellow player Justin "Swizzy" Saline has already raised more than $36,000 for the families of Robertson and Clayton, to be divided evenly.
The gaming community has proven to be a powerful force in fundraising, with the charity Extra Life raising more than $40 million since 2008 to support children's hospitals. While it can be difficult to know how to cope with such a senseless loss of life, it's heartening to see both the Madden community and EA responding with pledges to support those affecred. We'll bring you more details on the Jacksonville Tribute fund and livestream event as they become available.
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Source: EA