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Jacksonville: police report 'multiple fatalities' in Florida mass shooting Jacksonville: police report 'multiple fatalities' in Florida mass shooting
(35 minutes later)
Police reported “multiple fatalities’ in a mass shooting in Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday. One suspect was dead at the scene, the local sheriff’s office said, adding that it did not know if there was a second suspect and officers were “finding many people hiding in locked areas”.Police reported “multiple fatalities’ in a mass shooting in Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday. One suspect was dead at the scene, the local sheriff’s office said, adding that it did not know if there was a second suspect and officers were “finding many people hiding in locked areas”.
The shooting reportedly took place at an online gaming tournament.The shooting reportedly took place at an online gaming tournament.
“Mass shooting at the Jacksonville Landing,” the Jacksonville sheriff’s office said on Twitter. “Stay far away from the area. The area is not safe at this time. STAY AWAY.” In a Facebook post datelined Jacksonville, Ryen Aleman, of Robstown, Texas, posted: “Don’t wish anyone on this the scariest moment of my life. Just thank God I made it out of there safe. Prayers for everyone that is out there right now.”
In response to user questions, the Twitter account said: “We can’t stress enough to stay away. Many blocks away.” The warning was for media too, the sheriff’s office said, adding: “It is for safety.” His post carried widely circulated video and audio of what appeared to be a shooting interrupting a game of Madden NFL 19 football.
Speaking to CNN, Aleman said: “Everyone ducked down. I got down and crawled to the bathroom.” He added: “I heard so many gunshots, 20 at least. I’m so shocked I can hardly talk.”
“Mass shooting at the Jacksonville Landing,” the Jacksonville sheriff’s office said earlier, on Twitter. “Stay far away from the area. The area is not safe at this time. STAY AWAY.” The warning was for media too, the sheriff’s office said, adding: “It is for safety.”
The police then said: “Multiple fatalities at the scene, many transported. One suspect is dead at the scene, unknown at this time if we have a second suspect. Searches are being conducted.”The police then said: “Multiple fatalities at the scene, many transported. One suspect is dead at the scene, unknown at this time if we have a second suspect. Searches are being conducted.”
A further tweet said: “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.” A further tweet said: “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.
“If you are hiding in the Landing,” the sheriff’s office added, “call 911 so we can get to you.” “If you are hiding in the Landing, call 911 so we can get to you.”
The Jacksonville Landing area contains restaurants and shops and is situated along the St Johns river.The Jacksonville Landing area contains restaurants and shops and is situated along the St Johns river.
A notice on the website of EA Sports, the video game company that distributes Madden NFL, stated: “This weekend, the first of four Madden NFL 19 Classic qualifier events will take place at the GLHF game bar in Jacksonville, Florida. The top two finishers at this event will earn a spot in the round of 16 at the Madden Classic main event in Las Vegas in October.” A notice on the website of EA Sports stated: “This weekend, the first of four Madden NFL 19 Classic qualifier events will take place at the GLHF game bar in Jacksonville, Florida.”
An eSports team, comPlexity Gaming, said on Twitter one of its players “was grazed in the hand” but was “away from the scene and safe”. An eSports team, comPlexity Gaming, said on Twitter it was not an organiser of the event in Jacksonville but one of its players “was grazed in the hand” and was “away from the scene and safe”.
A statement said: “Complexity is not one of the event organizers in Jacksonville. We are a professional gaming team that had a player at the event. Thankfully, our player is fine and only suffered a small injury.” Speaking to CNN, Aleman described the venue as being at the back of a pizza restaurant. He described the use of a laser-aimed gun and said he thought two men came into the venue through the restaurant.
“They went to the back and they just started shooting everyone, and people were just dropping,” he said.
Aleman said he saw at least six people on the floor who had been shot, and that there were 40 to 50 people in the venue, “just running around everywhere”.
After he had been hiding in a locked bathroom for about 10 minutes, he said, the shooting stopped: “Everyone was crying. I hear people yelling ‘Help me, I’m shot’. I peeked out because I didn’t know if the gunman was still around. I was scared for my life.”
Vic Micolucci, a reporter for local station WJXT, told CNN there were at least 11 victims, of whom four were understood to be dead.Vic Micolucci, a reporter for local station WJXT, told CNN there were at least 11 victims, of whom four were understood to be dead.
“Right now it is just everyone scrambling and trying to find out what is going on,” Micolucci said. “We don’t know if it’s one suspect or multiple shooters. I have been talking to the general manager of a restaurant in the complex who said they did not believe it was still an active shooting scene.” In Virginia, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Donald Trump had been briefed on events in Florida.
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