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Lawsuit filed on behalf of Maryland gamer shot twice during Jacksonville Landing mass shooting

Jacksonville, FL — Following the mass shooting at the Jacksonville Landing that claimed the lives of two victims and left nearly a dozen others with injuries, a lawsuit is now being filed against several of the parties involved.

According to the court documents obtained by WOKV, a lawsuit now being filed on behalf of one of the gamers who was present during the attack is suing Electronic Arts Inc., the Jacksonville Landing Investments, LLC, Property Management Support, Sleiman Enterprises, Chicago Pizza and Sports Grille, Inc., GLHF ESports Bar, LLC, Allied Univerisal Corp., and the owner of Chicago Pizza.

The documents state the gamer, Jacob Mitich of Maryland, is accusing each of these parties of negligence.  The lawsuit claims each of these parties involved had a duty of reasonable care to keep gaming participants free from harm.

The documents question why the Jacksonville Landing was chosen as a venue in the first place, for the Madden ‘19’ tournament, calling it a "hub of dangerous, violent and too often, deadly activity."

The suit also raises questions about how Chicago Pizza and GLHF Game bar were allowed to operate, despite the game bar modifications being unapproved and illegal by fire safety code. It further alleges the Landing, Sleiman Enterprises, and Property Management Support should have been aware of the gaming room's existence due to signage, advertising, and more.

The lawsuit also says the gaming bar and Chicago Pizza should have known the event would draw a crowd to the point that "competitors would be confined to a cramp and potentially unsafe space, with one means of entry and exit, without so much as a single security guard."

The documents press EA Sports for answers on why there's not a person charged with ensuring the safety and security of the contestants that it invites to these kinds of events.  The documents also accuse EA of failing to screen gaming participants for being 'at-risk', saying the suspected gunman, David Katz, would have and should have been identified, prior to the shooting.

Neither the City of Jacksonville, nor the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, were notified about this gaming event, according to the lawsuit. It states had either the city or sheriff's office been notified, there likely would have been a minimum of two armed security guards required to provide security.

Mitich sustained two gunshot wounds during the shooting.

The lawsuit says he now has permanent physical and emotional injuries from the event. At one point in the documents, it states, "The last thing Plaintiff [Mitich] recalls from this ordeal was the genuine belief that he was going to die, a victim of another mass shooting."

The lawsuit is seeking damages exceeding $15,000, exclusive of interest, fees, and attorneys' fees.

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