Counter-Strike player and goalkeeper of New Zealand’s national men’s futsal team, Atta “crazyarab” Elayyan, was one of the 50 victims of the Christchurch shooting.
Elayyan saw success in the early 2000s, winning multiple local and online Counter-Strike: Source tournaments with New Zealand team NewType. The 33-year-old Palestinian man, born in Kuwait leaves behind a wife and daughter.
After his short stint of fame in professional Counter-Strike, Elayyan studied computer science and went on to launch a successful software company in New Zealand.
“I would have never gotten into the tech industry had I not been obsessed with gaming during those years and the hours of focus, intense game play [sic] and desire to succeed has actually helped me alot [sic] in many aspects of my life,” Elayyan wrote in 2012. “Of course, even if it was a complete waste of time, the people and friends I met during those years made it worth it.”
In a post on Gameplanet, a New Zealand Counter-Strike forum, Elayyan revealed that he had played Counter-Strike since 2002, and thanked the game for influencing him in pursuing a career in the tech industry. “I never thought I would ever be in a position to say this however I actually owe alot [sic] to CS,” he wrote.
“There is a huge hole in our hearts as we come to terms with the loss of a great person and a good mate,” said Josh Margetts, Elayyan’s futsal teammate.
Elayyan was praying at the Masjid Al Noor Mosque when he was shot and killed. His family has confirmed that he was one of the 50 people killed in Christchurch, New Zealand.
