Ocala, FL – Madden Developer Murdered in Parking Lot Altercation
This past weekend left a Madden developer murdered after a restaurant parking lot feud in Ocala, FL. After an altercation between EA Tiburon employee Jonathan Sullivan and a man named Robert Bavle broke out, Bavle drew a fire arm on Sullivan, shooting a total of at least 13 times and escalating the situation to a second degree murder.
According to the police report, 27-year-old Sullivan started the dispute by punching 23-year-old Bavle in the face. The altercation then escalated when Bavle drew a firearm and Sullivan attempted to run away. Bavle fired the first two shots, most likely in self-defense, at close range, as stated in the report but, as shot ranges continued to escalate to ranges of 5 to 8 feet, 38, and 50 feet, evidence proves that Bavle then perused Sullivan, firing at least 13 rounds in his chase. Bavle then opened fire on top of Sullivan, who was lying on the ground.
Sullivan died later en route to a local hospital, and it is unclear how many times he was shot by Bavle. According to witnesses, an unknown biker then drew his own firearm on his assailant, retaining him on the ground until the police arrived.
Madden franchise creative director, Rex Dickson, broke the news via Twitter:
The Madden family lost one of our own this weekend. It was an honor @SullyEA_ rest in peace brother. pic.twitter.com/nIG0AhmRkh
— Rex Dickson (@RexDEAFootball) June 19, 2017
A statement released by Sullivan’s mother states that she believes that the two had been previously acquainted, and that Sullivan had recently purchased a ticket to a VIP club in Orlando, although it’s not clear if any of this is related to the incident.
Jonathan Sullivan joined the Madden NFL gameplay team in May of 2016. Born in Macon, Georgia, he volunteered with Boys & Girls Club of Marion County to teach youth basketball. He also helped his mother out with her volunteering efforts in his free time. A spokesperson of EA Tiburon released the following statement:
We are all shocked and deeply saddened by Jon Sullivan’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones. Sully was a much-loved member of our team at EA Tiburon, and his presence will be sorely missed.