JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A family from Brazil plans to sue the Jacksonville Landing after a 2-year-old girl and her father were injured Sunday when a throng of people rushed from a restaurant during a mass shooting, the family's attorney announced Wednesday.
Enrique and Jennifer Freitas, who were visiting Jacksonville on a family vacation with their daughter, also plan to sue EA Sports, which ran the “Madden NFL 19” video game tournament where police said David Katz opened fire, killing two fellow gamers and wounding 10 other people.
Enrique said his daughter, Maria, posed for a photo at 1:32 p.m. Sunday, showing two thumbs up in the Landing's courtyard outside the Chicago Pizza & Sports Grille. Her family then walked inside because she wanted some french fries.
Within minutes, they heard gunshots coming from the Good Luck Have Fun Game Bar inside the restaurant.
Those shots ended up being the fatal bullets that killed Elijah Clayton and Taylor Robertson, before Katz turned the gun on himself.
Enrique, speaking through a Portugese interpreter, said after the initial shots, people ran from the game room and restaurant screaming for help.
He scooped up his daughter and ran but looked back to see his wife apparently frozen in fear. He yelled for her to run to safety, and she eventually did, but during the commotion, Enrique was knocked to the ground with Maria in his arms.
He suffered severe road rash on his elbow and knee that required treatment at a hospital, and he said Maria suffered a head injury and a busted lip.
The couple also claims they suffered mental trauma after coming for vacation to the U.S. to get away from the crime in Brazil.
Their lawyer plans to allege negligence in a lawsuit against the gaming company and the Landing for not providing adequate security for the competitive gaming event.
Attorney Christopher Campione said the crowd, a documented history of violence around the Landing and the fact that thousands of dollars were on the line in the tournament should have warranted the presence of either private security or an off-duty officer.
“The question that sticks out in my mind: If there was an armed security guard or off-duty police officer, which is common at these events, would this have deterred a shooter from killing people indiscriminately?” Campione said. “I think the answer is yes.”
Campione's lawsuit was the second announced against the venue and gaming company in the aftermath of the mass shooting. Morgan & Morgan said it will be representing several victims in a similar lawsuit alleging security negligence.
