What to Know
- New Jersey teen George Amadeo was among the nine gamers injured in a mass shooting in Florida; three others died, including the gunman
- Authorities say 24-year-old David Katz of Baltimore is the shooter, but a motive was still unclear
- Competitors insisted most players take losses in stride and, even with cash on the line, still view it as being just a game
A New Jersey teenager who was among gamers injured in the mass shooting at a gaming convention in Jacksonville, Florida, Sunday, has emerged from surgery, his family said.
George Amadeo of Belford, New Jersey, is a recent graduate of Middletown North High School, where he ran cross country for several years. On Monday, he underwent foot surgery. He and two others also struck by bullets are expected to survive.
Authorities say 24-year-old David Katz of Baltimore killed two people and wounded nine others before fatally shooting himself Sunday at the "Madden NFL 19" tournament being held at a riverfront mall in Jacksonville.
Amadeo tweeted: "I was about five feet away from the shooter and my dad jumped on me... He didn't get shot."
Amadeo's neighbor told News 4 New York he heard the teen's mother screaming Sunday.
"She screamed something and these people ran over," said the neighbor, Charlie. "I couldn't hear what she was screaming, though."
Elijah Clayton, 22, also known as by his gaming handle "Trueboy," and Taylor Robertson, 27, a.k.a. "SpotMe," were killed in the shooting. Nine others, including Amadeo, were injured before the gunman killed himself.
"True and SpotMe are two of the nicest people I knew," Amadeo tweeted. "I don't know what to say, nothing to say. Prayers to their families and everyone else involved."
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams has declined to comment on what motivated Katz to open fire inside a gaming bar connected to a pizzeria at The Jacksonville Landing, a collection of restaurants and shops along the St. Johns River.
Katz carried two handguns and extra ammunition but it's believed he only fired one of the handguns, Williams said. The guns were legally purchased in Maryland, Williams said.
Local
Williams said in surveillance video of the shooting it appeared Katz "clearly targeted other gamers" and walked past patrons to focus his attention on gamers in the restaurant.
Investigators were looking into an online video that appeared to capture the scene right before the shooting began, Williams said. A red dot that appears to be a laser pointer is visible on the chest of a player seconds before the first of about a dozen gunshots rings out.
On Sunday evening, the FBI searched the suspect's home. Heavily armed agents, some in bulletproof vests, could be seen entering the upscale townhome complex near Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Agency spokesman Dave Fitz confirmed that agents went to the house of the man's father in Baltimore. He declined to release details.
