EA Cancels Remaining Madden 19 Qualifier Events in Wake of Jacksonville Shooting
Three remaining events have been cancelled.
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In the wake of the mass shooting that occured in Jacksonville, Florida during a Madden 19 event over the weekend, EA has moved to cancel all upcoming Madden Qualifier events.
"We have made a decision to cancel our three remaining Madden Classic qualifier events while we run a comprehensive review of safety protocols for competitors and spectators," said EA CEO Andrew Wilson in a statement on Monday night.
The fatal shooting took place during a Madden event in Florida, where three people, including the suspected gunman, where killed. The suspect is believed to be David Katz, a 24-year old from Baltimore, who had previously played in the Madden event that day.
As for other upcoming events in the video game industry, PAX West is due to take place this upcoming weekend, from August 31 to September 3 in Seattle, Washington. We reached out to ReedPOP for a statement on security regarding PAX West in light of the Jacksonville shooting, and we received the statement just below:
"First and foremost, our hearts go out to all of those impacted by the horrific, senseless act of violence in Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday. The entire gaming community is affected by this tragedy.
"The safety of our attendees, exhibitors, and staff is paramount to ReedPOP and Penny Arcade. As PAX has grown in popularity, we have responded with the addition of increased private security, law enforcement, and other personnel, each of whom are on-site at all times during our events.
"As a rule, we do not publicly announce or discuss the details of our security program in order to maintain its effectiveness, however, we work closely with the Washington State Convention Center, private security, the Seattle Police Department and federal law enforcement authorities to identify risks, assess them and develop our comprehensive security protocols for PAX West. We have in place extensive proactive measures; some that are visible during PAX events and many that are not. We are always working to improve our security plans and, if need be, adjust them, to ensure that we are doing all that we can to make PAX West, and all PAX events, a safe and secure environment for the community."