Sunday’s mass shooting at the Jacksonville Landing should never have happened, according to city inspectors who late Wednesday cited the restaurant for not having a permit for the gaming room where three people died.
Our Florida Times-Union news partner reports city fire inspectors say Chicago Pizza was not permitted to hold the video game tournament that the shooter was competing in Sunday, according to its Wednesday code violation report.
The report states the restaurant’s last approved building layout was submitted in 2009, but the restaurant altered the layout plan without approval. That created the GLHF Game Bar, where this past weekend’s Madden NFL 19 video gaming tournament was held.
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“If Chicago Pizza would not have altered the layout plan by creating an unpermitted game room area, the video game tournament would not have occurred, and thus, this incident would not have occurred at The Jacksonville Landing,” the fire department statement read. “This area was neither authorized nor a part of their submitted and approved building layout plan.”
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A bright orange fire marshal’s “cease and desist” notice has been posted due to other violations seen by an inspector Wednesday night through the front windows, stuck next to signs on the front door of The Jacksonville Landing restaurant that say “Stay Tuned for a Reopening Date.”
The fire marshal also made a visual inspection of the restaurant through the front windows and noted extension cords used “as a substitute for permanent wiring,” plus some video game consoles and other items that blocked an exit or exits. So Chicago Pizza was also levied with three violations.
A longer version of this story is available at jacksonville.com.
