Heavily Armed FBI Storm Home of Suspected Jacksonville Shooter
John Raoux/AP PhotoA police officer directs a pedestrian away from a blocked-off area near the scene of a mass shooting at Jacksonville Landing in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018. Florida authorities are reporting multiple fatalities at the riverfront mall that was hosting a video game tournament. (John Raoux/AP Photo)
The latest on a deadly mass shooting at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida (all times local):
10 p.m.
Heavily armed agents have entered a Baltimore townhouse, the home of the father of the suspect in a deadly shooting at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida.
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said investigators believe 24-year-old David Katz of Baltimore was the shooter in an attack Sunday afternoon that left three people dead, including the suspect with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Eleven others were reported injured.
An FBI spokesman, Dave Fitz, confirmed agents had gone to the upscale townhouse home. But he did not immediately release any other specifics, citing an ongoing investigation.
The agents could be seen inside the home Sunday evening near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. They wore bulletproof vests and carried long guns. Reporters who gathered outside did not see any authorities carrying any bags of evidence outside.
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8:30 p.m.
An FBI official in Baltimore has confirmed that agents are searching the family home of the man authorities believe was behind a deadly shooting attack at a video game tournament at a Florida mall.
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An FBI spokesman, Dave Fitz, says agents have gone to the suspect’s father’s house in Baltimore, hours after Sunday’s mass shooting in Jacksonville, Florida. He did not immediately release any other specifics, citing an ongoing investigation.
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said earlier Sunday that investigators believe 24-year-old David Katz of Baltimore was the shooter. The sheriff says three people were killed Sunday, including the suspect, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot.
T.J. Smith is the chief spokesman for the Baltimore Police Department. He says he could only confirm that the mid-Atlantic city’s force was assisting law enforcement partners “with some information that has led authorities to Baltimore.”
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7:45 p.m.
The Jacksonville sheriff says three people were killed, including the gunman, during a mass shooting at a video game tournament at a north Florida mall.
Sheriff Mike Williams said Sunday evening he believed the shooter is 24-year-old David Katz of Baltimore. He said the FBI was searching the man’s home as part of the investigation.
Williams said nine other people were wounded by gunfire and are in stable condition and two others were hurt while fleeing the shots. He says the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot.
William said Katz committed the shooting with a single handgun. He said Katz was in Jacksonville for the “Madden NFL 19” video game tournament. The games maker, EA Sports, lists a David Katz as a 2017 championship winner.
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6:45 p.m.
A Chicago man says people trampled each other while fleeing the gunfire that broke out at a Florida mall during a video game tournament.
Twenty-year-old Marquis Williams says he and his girlfriend, Taylor Poindexter, also of Chicago, were ordering pizza close by when shots erupted. He said Sunday that he didn’t think it was gunfire at first.
Says William, “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.”
Williams had participated earlier Sunday in the gaming tournament where authorities say a mass shooting claimed multiple fatalities. He says he got a view of the back of the shooter in a green shirt.
He describes people running in the panic to escape. He says it was then that he scuffed his leg and that Poindexter was treated at a hospital for a sprained ankle. They later returned, hoping to retrieve her cell phone, but the scene was cordoned off by authorities.
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5:55 p.m.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott says President Donald Trump has called him, offering any federal help needed in response to a mass shooting during a video game tournament in Jacksonville.
Scott spokesman John Tupps said the governor also spoke Sunday 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 Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Florida Highway Patrol have been directed to help with the investigation.
An official close to the investigation said Sunday’s shooting at a riverfront mall in Jacksonville has left four people dead.
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4:55 p.m.
An official close to the investigation says a mass shooting during a video game tournament at a Jacksonville, Florida, riverfront mall has left four people dead.
The official says the person who opened fire died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to release information on the shooting. It wasn’t immediately clear if the official was including the suspect in the death toll.
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said at a news conference Sunday afternoon that the suspect, a white male whose identity authorities are still seeking to confirm, had died. He did not elaborate, but said the shooting site had since been secured.
Several other people were taken to hospitals.
Sounds of the shooting were captured as the gaming tournament was being livestreamed.
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4:45 p.m.
Florida authorities say they’ve finished clearing the scene of a fatal mass shooting at a riverfront mall in Jacksonville and there are no additional suspects.
Speaking to reporters Sunday afternoon, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams says a suspect is dead at the scene and they are still working to identify the male.
The sheriff’s office says the shooting, which erupted during a video game tournament, has left multiple dead and sent others to the hospital. Williams did not give any details on the number of people killed or wounded.
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4:45 p.m.
It didn’t take long for some Democratic candidates for governor to issue statements on a mass shooting in Jacksonville that left multiple people dead.
In the wake of the Feb. 14 Parkland school shooting that left 17 dead, gun violence has been a major issue ahead of Tuesday’s primary election, in which voters will pick the Republican and Democratic nominees to replace outgoing Republican Gov. Rick Scott.
Former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham sent an email to supporters that said the only way to end mass shootings is to “vote out the politicians complicit in this cycle of death.”
Former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine also released a statement saying, “I am horrified and I am furious” and that it’s time for new leaders.
Video game manufacturer Electronic Arts tweeted, “This is a horrible situation, and our deepest sympathies go out to all involved.”
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3:10 p.m.
Florida authorities say one suspect is dead at the scene after a fatal mass shooting at a riverfront mall in Jacksonville.
But on its Twitter feed, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says it’s unknown at this time if there’s a second suspect and searches are being conducted.
The sheriff’s office says multiple people have been killed in the shooting.
The department says to “stay far away from the area. The area is not safe at this time. STAY AWAY.” They also warned news media to stay away from the area, which contains restaurants and shops along the St. Johns River.
2:55 p.m.
Florida authorities are reporting multiple people dead and “many transported” to hospitals after a mass shooting at a riverfront mall in Jacksonville.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office used Twitter and Facebook to warn people to stay away from the Jacksonville Landing.
The department says to “stay far away from the area. The area is not safe at this time. STAY AWAY.”
The sheriff’s office didn’t provide any other information, but also warned news media to stay away from the area, which contains restaurants and shops along the St. Johns River.
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2:40 p.m.
Florida authorities are reporting a mass shooting at a riverfront mall in Jacksonville.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office used Twitter and Facebook to warn people to stay away from the Jacksonville Landing.
The department says to “stay far away from the area. The area is not safe at this time. STAY AWAY.”
The sheriff’s office didn’t provide any other information, but also warned news media to stay away from the area, which contains restaurants and shops along the St. Johns River.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
