JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A third lawsuit was filed in the wake of the deadly mass shooting at The Jacksonville Landing on behalf of a high school teacher, who was shot in the midst of the chaotic scene.
The negligence lawsuit was filed Sept. 17 by the Morgan & Morgan law firm on behalf of Dalton Kent, 22, a teacher and assistant coach from Port St. Lucie. Kent was shot in his shin.
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According to the lawsuit, Kent had to climb over one of the gamers who was killed to get to safety.
Kent is an avid Madden video game player, who won his first tournament at the age of 15, the suit states. He won another tournament in 2017.
The defendants mentioned in the lawsuit include The Jacksonville Landing, Sleiman Enterprises and Electronic Arts. A statement from the law firm reads:
Madden was special to Dalton. It meant something to him. Through their negligence and improper conduct, however, the defendants have taken that away from Dalton. He will no longer associate Madden with the love of sports or his passion for the game.
In response to the shooting, EA canceled its three remaining qualifier events for the "Madden NFL 19" tournament. CEO Andrew Wilson said the decision was made so that the company can thoroughly review its safety protocols for gamers and spectators.