Florida is the scene of yet another incident of gun violence in which three people were killed and 11 others wounded on Sunday. It happened while a video game tournament was in progress in Jacksonville and one of the competitors began shooting indiscriminately. The occasion was a regional qualifier for the Madden 19 online game tournament and the 24-year-old finally ended the drama by shooting himself.
New Zealand Herald reports that Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams has confirmed the gunman was armed and has been identified as belonging to Baltimore. He had traveled to Jacksonville to participate in the tournament and was in possession of a semi-automatic. The police seized his car near the scene, and the Sherriff was unable to confirm if the suspect knew the victims.
Florida again witnesses gun violence
Any incident of gun violence in a public place is a matter of concern because lives of innocents are involved. The Jacksonville Sheriff has explained that most of the injured suffered gunshot wounds while a few were hurt as they were trying to escape from the scene.
This sums up the situation when a gunman begins to unleash terror on unsuspecting people. There have been such incidents in the past and the authorities must address the issue with a seriousness it deserves. In February, 17 people were massacred in a school in Parkland, Florida. Earlier, two years back, 49 people were gunned down in a nightclub in Orlando.
There have been innumerable cases of gun violence in different parts of America and there must be a check on those who buy guns. These are weapons that must not fall into the wrong hands. If they do, they can lead to tragedies.
Video game tournament in Florida ends in death
According to The Chicago Tribune, it was Sunday and an online video game tournament was in progress.
It was being live streamed from a Florida mall when the shooting started. Two people died and many others suffered injuries while the gunman took his own life. In the melee, some of the spectators trampled over others to save themselves and some ran for cover to every possible place. The gunman is believed to be a regular player and was a 2017 championship winner.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said President Donald Trump has been informed about this and the White House was monitoring the situation. The venue of the tragedy was the Jacksonville Landing which is located in the heart of the city's downtown. It was the venue where Trump conducted a rally in 2015 as a part of the presidential campaign.