David Katz, 24, killed two contestants and injured 11 others at the Madden NFL 2019 Tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, on Sunday after he was apparently knocked out of the competition.
His victims have been named by friends online as married dad Taylor 'SpotMePlzzz' Robertson, 27, and Eli 'Trueboy' Clayton, 22, a rising star of gaming.
Police have not confirmed the identities of those killed but the chilling moment a laser landed on Clayton's chest before shots rang out was captured on the live stream.
Katz from Baltimore, Maryland, used at least one handgun to carry out the horrific attack, police confirmed.
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said officers were called to the Chicago Pizza restaurant at the Jacksonville Landing entertainment complex at around 1.30pm local time.
What we know so far
- David Katz opened fire on fellow contestants at the Madden NFL 2019 Tournament in Jacksonville on Sunday
- Katz, 24, killed two rival gamers and 11 others injured before turning the gun on himself
- Taylor Robertson, 27, and Eli Clayton, 22, have been named by friends and family as those killed
- Shocking audio of the moment the massacre began was broadcast to gamers worldwide
- Katz was said to have been acting "weird" at the tournament and wore the same clothes two days running
- Drini Gjoka – who won the tournament last year – was among the injured
Details of the shooter's cold demeanour emerged last year, after he won the Madden 2017 Bills tournament.
During the YouTube live stream of the competition, announcers said Bread "did not show much emotion" during his matches.
One of the hosts added: "David Katz keeps to himself. He's a man of business. He's not here to make friends. You can't even get him to open up about anything, it's like pulling teeth."
Shocking audio of yesterday's massacre, in which at least 12 shots rang out, was broadcast to gamers worldwide on live-stream software Twitch.
In the recording, two players can be seen sitting in chairs looking at a screen, chatting and joking, before shots ring out and the screen suddenly goes blank.
Witnesses say Katz, who reportedly used the gamer monikers "Ravenschamp" and "Bread", may have used a laser to assist his aim.
The clip from the live-stream shows a red dot appear on the chest of one of the players seconds before the gunfire began and screams of "oh my god" and "where did he go?" could be heard.
Steven "Steveyj" Javaruski, who was competing in the event, told the LA Times the shooter "targeted a few people" and shot "at least five victims before killing himself".
Another witness told Fox News that the gunman had just lost the competition and "went crazy and started shooting up the room".
Katz, who is said to have worn the same clothes two days running, was apparently acting "weird" at the tournament.
The gamer told ActionNewsJax that he beat Katz on Saturday in the pool round but when he tried to shake his hand Katz just stared blankly.
Javarius Long, told the Tampa Bay Times that the shooter was "nerdy" and court records in his parents' divorce are said to show he had 'significant health problems' as a child.
Chillingly Katz was described as "not here to make friends" by an announcer at a previous tournament.
They added: "He's all business, he's focused, and to even get him to open up to talk to you about anything – it's like pulling teeth, man."
One gamer said: "He had shades on, he didn’t speak to anybody. Even after we played…I went to shake his hand and just tell him good game and he just looked at me. He didn’t say anything.”
Police, who are being assisted by the FBI, say Katz is believed to have stayed somewhere local to the tournament last night, possibly a hotel, but the search is ongoing.
Officers have managed to locate a car belonging to Katz and have raided a house in the upscale Federal Hill neighbourhood of South Baltimore, Maryland.
Mr Williams confirmed that of the 11 injured, nine of those suffered gunshot wounds and two were hurt while trying to flee the bullets.
Drini Gjoka, who won the Madden NFL tournament last year, was among the injured and confirmed he had wounded his thumb.
He tweeted: “Worst day of my life. I will never take anything for granted ever again. Life can be cut short in a second.”
His representative, Jason Lake, said: "We're obviously shocked and saddened by this afternoon's events.
"Our player, Drini, was hit in the thumb but is going to be fine.
"He managed to escape and run down the street to a nearby gym.
"He's currently cooperating with the authorities and we will be flying him out of Jacksonville as soon as we are given the green light from the officials on the ground."
The mother of gamer Larry Legend confirmed her 25-year-old son had been shot three times.
Writing on Twitter, Sujeil Lopez said he was shot in the chest, thigh and hand and asked fans to keep him in their prayers.
She said: “I have to get to him. I am four hours away from him and I have to get to my son.
“He was shot three times, once on the nipple, once on his hand and somewhere else.”
She later updated followers with a picture of her son in his hospital bed surrounded by friends, adding: "God was with these guys today".
Another gamer, Chris "Dubby" McFarland, was hospitalised after a bullet grazed his head
He posted on Twitter: "I feel fine, just a scratch on my head. Traumatized and devastated."
Eyewitness Ryan Alemon said: “Everyone was running. They were dropping because they were getting shot. I heard yelling, I heard: ‘Help me, I'm shot’.”
Marquis Williams, 28, who had participated in the tournament, and his girlfriend, Taylor Poindexter, 26, both from Chicago, were ordering pizza at the bar when they heard the gunfire.
He said: "Initially we thought it was a balloon popping, but there weren't any balloons in the room. Then we heard repeat shots and we took off running."
Ms Poindexter said: "We did see him, two hands on the gun, walking back, just popping rounds. I was scared for my life and my boyfriend's."
The sheriff's office used Twitter and Facebook to warn people to stay far away and to ask anyone who was hiding to call 911.
They wrote on social media: "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 did not provide any other information, but also warned people to stay away from the area.
Police barricaded a three-block radius around the mall while officers and Coast Guard boats patrolled the nearby river.
Many ambulances could be seen in the area, but the mall area appeared empty of all but law enforcement.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott says Trump has called him, offering any federal help needed in response to the shooting.
Scott spokesman John Tupps said the governor also spoke with Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and Sheriff Mike Williams.
The governor is preparing to fly from his home in Naples to Jacksonville and meet with investigators.
The Jacksonville Landing was live-streaming a tournament for the NFL computer game qualifying round when the shooting occurred.
Organisers said the average age of children in the tournament was 16.
According to the event’s Facebook page, it was a $5,000 tournament where the winner could qualify for the nationals.
Madden 19 video game makers, Electronic Arts Inc, said in a statement: “This is a horrible situation, and our deepest sympathies go out to all involved.”
In an official statement, NFL said: "We are 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."
The game, named after legendary Oakland Raiders coach John Madden, allows people play as their favourite American football team and compete against each other.
It's one of the most popular video game franchises in the US and since it was first produced in 1990 has sold more than 130 million copies and generated $4billion in sales.
The latest version – a 2019 edition – was released earlier this month on Windows, PlayStation 4 and XBox One.
The Jacksonville Landing, in the heart of the city's downtown, hosts concerts and other entertainment.
It was the site of a Donald Trump rally in 2015, early in his campaign for the White House.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans (free) on 116 123.
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