Multiple fatalities due to mass shooting at Jacksonville mall
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A gunman opened fire Sunday at a riverfront mall where a Madden NFL 19 qualifying tournament was taking place Sunday, killing multiple people and sending many others to hospitals, authorities said.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said one suspect, a white male, was among the dead at the Jacksonville Landing, and it is working to confirm his identity. The sheriff's office wouldn't confirm the number of people killed and injured during the shooting, saying it intended to do that later Sunday. It also said there are no other suspects at this time.
Earlier Sunday, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office used Twitter and Facebook to warn people to stay away from the mall.
"We are finding many people hiding in locked areas at The Landing. We ask you to stay calm, stay where you are hiding. SWAT is doing a methodical search inside The Landing. We will get to you. Please don't come running out,'' the sheriff's office said via Twitter.
A Madden NFL 19 Classic qualifier was being held at the GLHF Game Bar in Jacksonville on Sunday. The tournament was being live-streamed on Twitch and a video of the event surfaced, with gunshots heard in the background. The sheriff's office said it had obtained that video.
Drini Gjoka, one of the professional gamers at the tournament, tweeted that he had been shot in the thumb.
EA Sports, which produces Madden NFL 19, said it was aware of the incident and was working with authorities to gather facts.
"This is a horrible situation, and our deepest sympathies go out to all involved," EA Sports tweeted.
The NFL said in a statement the league was "shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific tragedy today in Jacksonville. Our hearts go out to all those affected. We are grateful for the first responders immediately on the scene. We support our partners at EA Sports and will continue to monitor developments with local law enforcement."
Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a statement that it was "impossible to comprehend" the news of the shooting.
"I'm heartbroken for the families and friends of the victims and can only express my deepest condolences as we try to understand why and how this can happen, not only here, but anywhere. What I can say is I know today what lifelong Jacksonville residents have known forever -- we are resilient, compassionate and remarkably supportive of our neighbors and friends, particularly in the most trying occasions. This tragedy will ask the best of all of us, but I know we will respond," he said.
After the shooting, police barricaded a three-block radius around the mall. Officers and Coast Guard boats patrolled the nearby St. Johns River. Many ambulances could be seen in the area, but the mall area appeared empty of all but law enforcement. Police also took up positions on a bridge overlooking the river.
The Jacksonville Landing, in the heart of the city's downtown, hosts concerts and other entertainment, and it has a busy food court and a host of bars and restaurants.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
