Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, has issued a statement on the shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, canceling the remainder of the Madden NFL 19 tournament.
Wilson posted a message directed to the gaming community on the EA website on Monday evening. He wrote that he wanted to “share some thoughts about the horrific and senseless act of violence” that took place over the weekend. On Sunday, 24-year-old suspected gunman David Katz opened fire on the e-sports event, killing two and injuring 10.
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“I know many of us, myself included, are filled with shock and grief,” Wilson wrote. “Our teams have been working non-stop to do what we can to respond to this terrible situation.”
He began by pledging to honor the lives of Taylor Robertson and Elijah Clayton — the two players killed in the shooting. He also promised support to their families moving forward.
“First and foremost, it is an unthinkable tragedy that Taylor Robertson and Elijah Clayton, two of our top Madden competitors, lost their lives in this way,” he wrote. “They were respected, positive and skilled competitors, the epitome of the players and personalities at the heart of our community. 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.”
Wilson then specified EA’s hand in the tournament, and the company’s level of responsibility for its organization. Sunday’s event was a small qualifying event for the Madden Classic, a larger tournament held in October. He wrote that “these qualifying events are operated independently by partners,” but added that EA “work[s] with them to ensure competitive integrity and to gather feedback from players.”
“We have made a decision to cancel our three remaining Madden Classic qualifier events while we run a comprehensive review of safety protocols for competitors and spectators,” Wilson announced. “We will work with our partners and our internal teams to establish a consistent level of security at all of our competitive gaming events.”
Wilson made it clear that he and EA take the decisision seriously, but explained that after such a tragedy there are a lot of things to consider.
“We’ve all been deeply affected by what took place in Jacksonville. 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,” he concluded.
