The death of one of their own has brought the Call of Duty community together.
On Tuesday, a car driven by 17-year-old gamer Luke “Froggir” Inwood crashed into a tree and caught fire. He was pronounced dead on the scene, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
The Call of Duty community has responded with an outpouring of support for Inwood and his family, organizing a number of donation drives to help cover funeral services and ease the tragic news of his passing.
While Inwood was never a top-tier player, he was a staple on a number of amateur teams like Aftershock and Relapsed before more recently joining eXcellence, putting together a number of respectable top 32 placings at various events. He was well-liked within competitive circles, known for his easygoing attitude and dedication to the game.
With a very heavy heart, we want to wish the family of @Froggir_eX our condolences. It pains to hear of this tragedy. #RIPLukeInwood ????
— eXcellence (@eXGamingLLC) April 14, 2015
Inwood’s team raised over $200 in donations for Inwood’s family through a streamed donation drive, but that was just the start. Josh Aubelanney, the owner of Relapsed, another of Inwood’s former teams, set up a GoFundMe campaign for the family that raised over $5,000 from 100 plus donations. The campaign will accept donations through Sunday.
The hashtag #RIPLukeInwood trended on Twitter shortly after news of his death broke.
The community also organized a Twitter vigil at 6pm ET on Wednesday, observing a 10-minute moment of silence before mass-tweeting #RIPLukeInwood to honor his memory.
“I really do respect those kids that barely even know him, they just only know him through gaming, they’re making videos about him and tweeting about him and getting him trending,” one of Inwood’s friends told a local TV station. Another friend said he appreciated the efforts so many strangers took to raise money for the family.
In addition to Call of Duty, Inwood had also been dedicated to basketball, and had planned to repair a local basketball court and this Summer. His friends will host a three-on-three charity tournament to raise funds to do so.
All the pictures I have with Luke. You will be missed. #RIPLukeInwood pic.twitter.com/nVrm84J5eh
— Saiyan (@san0529) April 14, 2015
For a community and careers built around the hobby of video games, the loss of someone so young is always a chilling reminder of what life is all about.
At the end of the day, we’re all just playing videos games together & every single one of us is apart of this community. Peace & love dudes.
— Nadeshot (@Nadeshot) April 15, 2015
Rest in peace, Luke.
