The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office confirmed that Elijah Clayton, 22, and Taylor Robertson, 27, were killed in the shooting at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday.
Friends and fellow gamers had previously named the two men to the Los Angeles Times, Action News Jax, and Reuters, and authorities confirmed their identities Monday afternoon.
Clayton's relatives released a statement to reporters in Jacksonville saying the family was "devastated by yet another senseless act of gun violence." He went by the gaming alter ego TrueBoy.
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His cousin, Brandi Pettijohn, said Clayton "did not believe in violence" and had "never even had a fistfight," according to the Associated Press.
Authorities earlier identified David Katz, a 24-year-old gamer attending the tournament, as the suspect in the shooting. He is believed to have injured 11 others along with the two fatalities before shooting himself.
The gaming community rallied on social media late Sunday to pay tribute to the victims.
Crying and in so much pain.... @ PROBLEM
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One gamer, George Amadeo, who was injured during the shooting and is recovering in hospital, voiced his admiration for Clayton.
I posted a gofundme for a p... @ Fitzmagic13
SpotMe: quiet family man ma... @ Volt
The tournament, playing the video game "Madden NFL 19", took place at a bar in the Jacksonville Landing outdoor mall and was hosted by the game publisher Electronic Arts.
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The event was the first of four regional qualifiers for the Madden Championship event scheduled for later this year in Las Vegas. The event featured several professional players as well as dozens of aspiring esports players.
Katz went by the nickname "Bread" in the gaming world. The police are still looking for a motive and whether Katz knew the victims.
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