Timothy Anselimo, who goes by the name of oLARRY or Larry Legend, was shot three times during a mass shooting at a Madden video game tournament, which left two people dead and 11 injured. Anselimo’s mother shared the sad news about her son on Twitter. Anselimo survived the shooting and was in surgery the next day, which would determine if he could ever return to gaming. This is a developing story.
Anselimo’s Mother Said Her Son Was Shot 3 Times in the Hand, Thigh, & Chest
Shortly after the shooting, Anselimo’s mother wrote on Twitter that her son had been shot three times. She asked for prayers for her son.
She later said her son had been shot in the hand, thigh, and chest.
She’s a proud mother who created her Twitter account just to follow her son’s gaming journey. Her Twitter bio reads: “I made a Twitter just to follow my son’s dream come true and his journey as he plays his heart out for the NBA 2k league PROUD MOM/BLESSED Bucks Baby ?.”
A friend of Anselimo’s said he was shot in the chest on Twitter. “OLarry was shot in chest and hand I was with him. I have his bag and phone. Plz retweet this to notify 2k community. He is at Florida shands hospital. didn’t look life threatening to me but injured bad. I love you bro.”
Anselimo Had Just Finished the NBA 2K League’s First Season
Anselimo’s mother had just welcomed her son home a few days earlier after finishing his first season with the NBA 2K League. She posted on Twitter on August 17: “Picking up my boy @olarry2k the from the airport my boy is home and I couldn’t be happier God is great ! Thanks to the @BucksGG and everyone associated with them and the @NBA2KLeague for the wonderful 1st season and for taking good care of my guy we cant wait for season 2.”
Anselimo was the second round pick for Bucks Gaming in the NBA 2K League.
Anselimo Had Tweeted During the Tournament Before the Shooting Happened
The Madden NFL 19 Classic Satellite Qualifier where the mass shooting took place was the first in a series of Madden NFL qualifier events, EASports reported. The event was at the GLHF Game Bar in Jacksonville. The top finishers would then be able to play in the Round of 16 at the Madden Classic event in Las Vegas in October. Competitors who make it to the Live Finals would play for a share of the $165,000 prize pool.
Anselimo tweeted during the tournament, just an hour or so before the shooting:
Police have said that the suspect in the shooting is dead, and it’s not known if there is a second suspect. A live video cut away from a picture-in-picture of the players just before the shooting happened, but gunshots and screaming could be heard on the audio.
Steven “Steveyj” Javaruski, a competitor in the tournament, told the Los Angeles Times that the shooter was a player who had lost. Police have not confirmed this information.
oLARRY & the Other Victims Who Survived Are in Stable Condition
Anselimo is one of nine victims who suffered gunshot wounds and survived. The sheriff’s office said all of the survivors are in stable condition. Anselimo’s mother tweeted a photo from the hospital Sunday night showing him giving a thumbs up while surrounded by friends. “God was with these guys today,” she wrote.
The Governor of Florida later came to visit Anselimo:
Late that night, Anselimo tweeted:
And this morning, his heartbreak was palpable:
If you want to support the survivors, make sure you don’t fall for the wrong GoFundMe account. Anselimo’s mom pointed out on Twitter that one account was not actually set up by her:
Anselimo is from Florida and is known for being a professional NBA 2K League player and a member of Bucks Gaming. He plays Center #22. According to Fox 6, Anselimo is a celebrity in the gaming world. You can see his stats with the NBA 2K League here.
Cayle Drabinsky, co-managing director of Bucks Gaming, told Fox 6: “Kids growing up one day want to be the next oLARRY or the next Procis1on or the next Game6Drake…”
Anselimo told Fox 6 that the fame was a big surprise for him. “He … pulled up my picture on his phone and showed his mom, like, ‘look, that’s him.'”
This is a developing story.