Jacksonville Shooting Survivors Retain Morgan & Morgan For Expected Lawsuit

Orlando-based law firm Morgan & Morgan announced that it is filing a negligence lawsuit on behalf of multiple survivors of Sunday’s shooting in Jacksonville, Florida. 

A gunman injured 11 people and killed 2 others when he opened fire on a “Madden 19” esports tournament at a game bar at the Jacksonville Landing shopping mall. Attorney Matt Morgan told reporters on Tuesday that a number of the survivors retained his law firm for a lawsuit against unnamed defendants. 

“Business as usual on the security front will no longer be tolerated by Americans,” Morgan said. “We must demand more from business owners. It’s time for business owners and event organizers to step up their game.”

Morgan noted Jacksonville Landing’s previous history with gun violence as a strong indication that further security measures should have been taken. Morgan & Morgan’s local branch is located across from the landing, and the firm mentioned its own office building was shot at in the last two months. 

The firm said it would be filing a lawsuit within the week, citing the need to “preserve all evidence” as the reason for filing so soon after the shooting. Morgan would not go into detail on the names of his clients, the grounds of the expected lawsuit or the potential defendants.

However, EA Sports, which sponsored the competition, could be sued. EA CEO Andrew Wilson released a statement  Monday announcing the cancellation of the remaining Madden Classic qualifying tournaments in order to review security protocols. 

“We’ve all been deeply affected by what took place in Jacksonville,” Wilson’s statement reads. “This is the first time we’ve had to confront something like this as an organization, and I believe the first time our gaming community has dealt with a tragedy of this nature.”