EA Donates $1 Million To The Victims Of The Jacksonville Shooting

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In the wake of last weekend's mass shooting during a Madden 19 tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., Electronic Arts is taking steps to support those affected by the tragedy, beginning with a contribution of $1 million.

Over on the EA Twitter feed, the developer/publisher has announced plans for the Jacksonville Tribute Fund and Livestream. To get the tribute rolling, EA is contributing $1 million that will go toward the victims of the event, including the families of players Taylor Robertson and Elijah Clayton, who were killed when a gunman opened fire at the event. The tribute is said to also go toward others impacted by the shooting.

According to the statement, EA was inspired by its own community to take these actions while considering what could be done in response.

The way you are coming together, and the outpouring of support for all those affected by this tragedy, is incredibly uplifting. We want to join you.

EA said that the fund is being set up so that interested parties can make their own contributions on top of the $1 million being offered by the company. Additional details on how to get involved will be made available as soon as everything gets ironed out.

In an effort to drum up support, EA is also planning to bring the gaming community together through the Jacksonville Tribute Livestream, scheduled for next Thursday, Sept. 6. Apparently, a lot of players have been reaching out to EA to ask how they can support the victims, and it was decided this would be a good route to take. It sounds like the plan is to get prominent members of the community involved in the stream, which will presumably be utilized to encourage further donations to the cause.

Outside of the financial contribution and upcoming livestream, EA is getting proactive when it comes to event security in the future. The shooting took place at the first of three Madden 19 tournaments planned for the coming months. The remaining events have now been canceled while EA conducts a safety audit. The plan is to create more uniform safety practices across events and procedures for how their tournaments will be carried out alongside third-party partners.

This being the first major shooting tied to a gaming event, it makes sense that EA, and hopefully the entire industry, will rethink safety measures moving forward.

To keep up to date on how the Jacksonville Tribute fund and Livestream progresses, EA's Twitter feed is likely to be your first source of information. As is frequently, and sadly, the case, you'll likely want to avoid the comments. While plenty of people are offering their support for these measures, others are responding in less constructive ways.

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