Security Can No Longer Be An Afterthought Thanks To Jacksonville Landing
By Jason Fanelli ·
Security at gaming events has sometimes been considered an afterthought, and thanks to one disgruntled Madden 19 player in Jacksonville that approach has blown up in our face. Time for a new one.
Two dead. Eleven injured.
A lone gunman, fueled by rage exacerbated by a loss in a Madden NFL tournament in Jacksonville, walked into the same tournament and opened fire. Countless lives changed in an instant. I'm not going to give the shooter the satisfaction of being counted among those lost, so: Two dead. Eleven injured.
Security at gaming events has sometimes been considered an afterthought, and thanks to that one disgruntled Madden player in Jacksonville that approach has blown up in our face. Time for a new one. When I wrote about security at EVO a little while back, I called upon the organizers to put more focus on creating a safe environment for all attendees. That’s not to say EVO lacked security (there absolutely were efforts made), but more needed to be done. I naively hoped that the wake up call to tournament organizers would come via scrutiny and critique and not from a brazen killer. Unfortunately, my hopes were quickly rendered unfounded.
Two dead. Eleven injured.
The aftermath of the Jacksonville shooting has brought out the best in the affected community, as these tragic events often do. Madden publisher Electronic Arts issued a statement, postponed future Madden events, and pledged to re-examine their security protocols. The company is also hosting a livestream to benefit the victims and their families, with EA pledging to donate $1 million on top of contributions made by the livestream’s viewers. These are appropriate actions, but no developer or publisher should ever have to take them in the first place.
— Electronic Arts (@EA) August 30, 2018
Other events, like this weekend’s PAX West 2018 in Seattle and Summer Jam 12 outside Philadelphia, have announced stricter security measures. EVO head Joey Cuellar also Tweeted extra security measures coming to EVO 2019, though he understandably did not get into specifics. What did it take for these measures to go into effect?
Two dead. Eleven injured.
While Evo does not comment on security procedures (for obvious reasons), it's very clear that we need to be more proactive for 2019 and beyond. The amount of undercover law enforcement at Evo was unprecedented, and we will be installing metal detectors for ALL days next year.
— Joey Cuellar (@MrWiz) August 26, 2018
The gun control conversation seems like it’s not going away for a while, and I’m not about to poke that bear here, but one thing is for certain: in today’s world, security can not be an afterthought. It never should have been in the first place, but it certainly should not be anymore. I don’t know what security measures (if any) were in place in Jacksonville last Saturday as I wasn’t there. But, I do know that whatever they were, it wasn’t enough. If you don’t believe me, ask the wife who lost a husband and spare a thought for the child too young to even know that he’s lost his father. Ask the mother who can no longer call her son or the siblings who are now grieving a brother.
Two dead. Eleven injured.
The responsibility now lies on every single one of us, no matter what event we’re attending or what public place we’re in, to be more aware (like Jordan Williams that rushed to save another player in that moment of need). For organizers, it’s awareness of the building and where security will be needed most. For security personnel, it’s diligence and letter-of-the-law levels of following protocol. For the public, it’s awareness of our surroundings and reporting any suspicious activity. The right steps are so far being taken, but we as a community and an industry need to make sure that we don’t stop short of the goal line.
How do we do this? We do it the same way some larger events like PAX East already do it. Metal detectors at every door, bag checks right next to them, and multiple personnel at every station. Every pocket, every compartment, every inch of a person's body should be scanned (respectfully, of course) for any contraband, and anything found must be immediately reported. No exceptions: if it opens, you check it. Summer Jam is taking place this weekend and they're checking fight sticks that open, which is a fantastic idea and exactly what I mean. No stone should be unturned, because one error in judgment is all it takes. Will they find anything ever? Probably not, but this would become a deterrent if anything. Aside from undercover officers or guards, visible security is a good first step at safety since those that intend to cause harm know they're actively being looked for.
Two dead. Eleven injured.
Never forget them. Ensure this never happens again. Maybe one day this world will come to its senses, but until then it’s up to the industry to keep the community safe, and the community to follow the rules when they are in place and demand more security when they’re not. Self-policing within the industry is not ideal, but until a broader solution comes to pass self-policing is all we can do. Security can no longer be an afterthought....because to the families of the two dead and the ten injured, one person’s afterthought is their worst nightmare.
Cover photo by Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK