A Kansas City esports center was the site of a shooting over the weekend, the Kansas City Police Department confirms. The shooting left three people injured, with one of the victims in critical condition.

Local Legends Gaming, an esports center in Midtown Kansas City, was hosting an event for college students on Saturday, May 25, when it became the site of a shooting. The event, which was an end-of-year party for the college students, had been going on for about an hour and a half when a fight broke out and shots were fired.

Police who were patrolling in the area at around 11:48 pm said that they heard shots and saw people running out of the esports center. Three people were injured in the shooting, police have confirmed. Two of those injured were victims of gunshots and one of the gunshot victims was rushed to a hospital and has been described as being in "critical condition." The other gunshot victim and the third injured person, who had been trampled, did not have life-threatening injuries. The trampled victim sustained minor injuries.

AbdulRasheed Yahaya, 31, who owns Local Legends Gaming, doesn't know how many people were attending the event but says that four security guards were present as is required for any large events at the venue. It's also unclear whether police have arrested anyone in connection to the shooting.

The shooting at the Kansas City esports center unfortunately isn't the first time that such an incident has occurred while people are gaming. In 2018, a shooting at a Madden esports tournament in Florida claimed the lives of two victims who were both competitors in the tournament.

In 2017, a "swatting" incident claimed the life of a 28-year-old father of two in Wichita, KS. Someone called the SWAT team on a completely unrelated individual after an argument over Call of Duty: WW2, leading to the death of the 28-year-old.

Less than a year later, Kansas successfully passed a law that made swatting a felony. The law meant that anyone who falsely makes a swatting call that results in death or extreme injury could get up to 41 years in prison.

While the shooting in Kansas City does not have any recorded casualties, it is understandably upsetting to see that people are unable to play video games without the threat of violence. Game Rant wishes the victims a speedy recovery.

Source: The Kansas City Star

Image Source: Tony Webster via Wikimedia Commons