‘He lost & went crazy’: Witnesses describe killing spree at Florida video game tournament

Witness accounts from the Jacksonville video game tournament shooting have emerged, detailing the chilling moment that a gunman opened fire on the event, killing two people and injuring 11, before turning the gun on himself.

Authorities have yet to establish the exact motive behind the senseless violence, but the sheriff’s office confirmed that, indeed, the “suspect was there for the competition.”

DETAILS: 2 killed, 11 injured in mass shooting at Madden video game tournament in Jacksonville

One of the first people to speak out after the incident was Drini Gjkoa, a participant at the Madden tournament who tweeted that he was “literally so lucky” after a bullet hit his thumb.

Another witness, Steven ‘Steveyj’ Javaruski, told The Los Angeles Times that the shooter was a competitor who lost. He tweeted that he was “safe” but “broken over this.”

Another unnamed witness also told Fox News that the shooter was apparently a gamer, stating that he “went crazy and started shooting up the room” after losing. The witness added that he’d been outside making a phone call when the shots began, and that he saw people fighting to get out of the area, prompting him to run from the scene.

Ryan Aleman, who traveled from Texas to play in the tournament, told CNN that he hid in the bathroom when the shooting broke out.

“As I was going in the restroom, I stayed in there, and I just heard - there was just so many gunshots, at least 20 of them at the most,” he said. “I’m still shocked, I can hardly talk.”

READ MORE: Multiple fatalities in mass shooting at Madden video game tournament in Jacksonville

Another contestant who was on his way to the tournament told WJAX-TV said that “it could have been me, it could have been any one of us.”

Like this story? Share it with a friend!