Victims of Jacksonville shooting were members of competitive Madden community

In a statement today, EA confirmed that two members of the Madden competitive community lost their lives in yesterday's mass shooting in Jacksonville, Florida.

The statement is as follows:

"The authorities have confirmed that we lost two respected members of our community yesterday, Elijah "TrueBoy" Clayton and Taylor "SpotMePlzz" Robertson.

"Their deaths are an inconceivable tragedy, and we offer our deepest sympathies to their families, to those injured and everyone affected by this. Many of us at EA knew Elijah and Taylor well, and their positive, competitive spirit and respect for other players were evident to everyone.

"They earned the admiration of all who watched them compete, and we will miss them greatly. We are committed to supporting their family members through this difficult time."

22-year-old Clayton of Woodland Hills, California was killed during one of his matches that was being livestreamed on Twitch at the time--the camera cut away just before the shots went off.

In 2017, Clayton took the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Madden National Finals. In a profile published by The Florida-Times Union at the time, he stated that he had been playing Madden games since he was five.

Friends and family have shared memories of Clayton that have been compiled into a Twitter moment.

Robertson, 28, was from Ballard, West Virginia and was the winner of the Madden Classic last season. Earlier this year, he joined Dot City Gaming, which referred to both Robertson and Clayton in its statement as "great competitors and well-loved members of the Madden community."

Robertson was also a husband and father of a 2-year-old son.

The shooting took place at a Madden Championship Series qualifying event and resulted in three dead (including the shooter), nine others injured with gunshot wounds, and two others injured while trying to escape the area.