Electronic Arts will cancel the last three ‘Madden NFL 19′ qualifier tournaments after Sunday’s shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, where two competitors were killed.
“We’ve all been deeply affected by what took place in Jacksonville,” Wilson said Monday night in a released statement. “This is the first time we’ve had to confront something like this as an organization, and I believe the first time our gaming community has dealt with a tragedy of this nature. Please take time to support each other through this challenging time.”
CEO Andrew Wilson mentioned “a comprehensive review of safety protocols for competitors and spectators” in addition to pledging to “work with our partners and our internal teams to establish a consistent level of security at all of our competitive gaming events.”
The three events were scheduled to take place in Dallas, Los Angeles and Chantilly, Virginia.
Wilson described the two men who were fatally shot, 28-year-old Taylor “SpotmePlzzz” Robertson and 22-year-old Elijah “Trueboy” Clayton, as “two of our top Madden competitors” in the statement.
“They were respected, positive and skilled competitors, the epitome of the players and personalities at the heart of our community,” Wilson said in the statement. “Their love of competition was evident through their participation in our events over the past few years. We are committed to supporting Taylor and Elijah’s families through this difficult time, and we send our deepest sympathies to their loved ones, to those injured yesterday, and everyone affected.”
Court records obtained by The Associated Press show that David Katz, the man accused of killing Clayton, Robertson and then himself, had a history of mental illness.
