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Madden NFL 19

Madden NFL 19: Jacksonville victim sues EA

Legal action taken against several of the parties involved.

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The gaming community was shocked after the recent tragic events in Jacksonville, Florida, during which a professional player called David "Bread" Katz killed two fellow participants (Taylor "Spotme" Robertson and Elijah "Trueboy" Clayton) at a Madden NFL 19 tournament before taking his own life.

At the moment, whatever pushed Katz to commit these heinous murders is still unclear - among the more credible suggestions is the fact that he was disqualified during the event.

EA, clearly saddened by the incident, has already announced that the company has cancelled all esports events planned for the game and has set up a fund for the families of the victims.

In these past hours, however, it turns out that one of the survivors has taken legal action against Electronic Arts in order to get compensation. The legal action comes from Jacob Mitich, who was shot twice during the attack. Mitich is now taking legal action against the publisher, the Chicago Pizza venue where the tournament was held, the Jacksonville Landing mall which contained the headquarters, and five other defendants.

The root of this legal action is negligence on the part of the various institutions involved, starting with EA, because it "failed to provide a safe and secure environment" for the participants of the tournament. Mitich also issued a statement through his lawyer, stating that he "trusted the event host and organisers, and believed that he was walking into a safe space."

The case goes on to describe Jacksonville Landing as "a hub of dangerous, violent and too often, deadly activity", citing further incidents of shootings and stabbings in recent years.

In a statement released shortly thereafter, Electronic Arts said: "At this time, we are fully focused on supporting the victims and all those affected by this tragic event."

It remains to be seen how this situation will be resolved.

Madden NFL 19

Thanks, GamesIndustry.

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