Jacksonville shooter in racist attack is named as it’s revealed he bought weapons legally - latest

Two men and a woman were killed in a racially-motivated shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, by a white man in his twenties, who “hated Black people”.

The suspect has been identified as 21-year-old Ryan Palmeter, Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters said, calling him a “maniac.”

The victims were identified as Angela Michelle Carr, 52, Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr, 19, and Jarrald De’Shaun Gallion, 29.

The shooting took place at a Dollar General store just blocks from the historically-Black Edward Waters University. The gunman was initially seen near the library on the campus but security guards tried to take him into custody and he escaped.

Shortly before the shooting took place, the gunman’s parents called law enforcement to say they had found a manifesto, reported WJXT. The gunman had reportedly called his parents ahead of the attack and told them to look at his computer.

Sheriff Waters described those writings as a “disgusting ideology of hate”.

The shooter, who had entered the store with an assault rifle covered in swastikas, took his own life. “His sickening ideology is not representative of the values of this Jacksonville community that we all love so much,” the sheriff said.

Key Points

• Chilling CCTV shows Jacksonville shooter entering Florida store during deadly rampage

• DeSantis is silent on whether he will visit Jacksonville after racially-motivated mass shooting

• Multiple dead as active shooter barricades himself inside Florida Dollar General store

America sets horrifying 17-year record for mass killings

12:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The US saw more mass killings in the first half of this year than any other six-month period over the last 17 years, new data shows.

There were more than 28 mass killings between 1 January and 30 June, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.

Previously, the record for a six-month period was 27 – which was set in the second half of 2022. The database defines a mass killing as an incident where four or more people are killed, not including the attacker, within a 24-hour period.

Although the mass killing does not need to include a gun to fit the definition, 99 per cent of the incidents in the first half of this year did involve a firearm. Only one did not.

Ariana Baio has more.

America sets horrifying 17-year record for mass killings

NAACP president condemns ‘act of hatred’ and calls for assault weapon ban

12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

NAACP president Derrick Johnson has condemned the killing as an act of hatred and called for an assault weapon ban in a statement.

“It’s a sad day in America when we realise that extremists will stop at nothing to undermine our work to thrive,” he said.

“As we continued the march for freedom in Washington, hateful actors continued to carry out the white supremacist agenda in Jacksonville, claiming the lives of Black Americans in the name of an era we refuse to go back to.

“Today’s tragedy is a reminder of why we march, and why we will stop at nothing to ensure that democracy works for everybody. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who stand to be forever impacted by today’s acts of hatred. Enough is enough. We must ban assault weapons now.”

Makeshift memorial created near the shooting site in Jacksonville

11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Shooting described as ‘racially-motivated’ attack as investigators review killer’s manifestos

11:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Law enforcement are examining the writings left behind by the shooter. According to Sheriff Waters, the gunman used racial slurs and conveyed his “disgusting ideology of hate.”

The suspect didn’t appear to know the victims but “there is absolutely no evidence the shooter is part of any larger group,” according to the sheriff.

The FBI has launched a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting and “will pursue this incident as a hate crime,” said Sherri Onks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Jacksonville office.

Read the full story:

Everything we know about the Florida Dollar General Shooting

Ron DeSantis booed by mourners at Jacksonville vigil

10:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Florida governor Ron DeSantis was heckled at a vigil held for the three victims of a racially motivated mass shooting in Jacksonville.

Mr DeSantis, who is running for the GOP nomination for president, has been criticised for easing gun laws in Florida and initially staying silent on the shooting. In April this year, the governor signed a bill into law that allows people to carry concealed weapons without a government permit.

As the governor began speaking at the vigil on Sunday, many members of a crowd of over a hundred people booed Mr DeSantis, forcing him to step back from the microphone.

More here.

Ron DeSantis booed by mourners as he attends Jacksonville vigil after racist shooting

Watch: Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters discusses Saturday’s shooting

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

You can watch Sunday’s press conference below.

Watch: Vigil held for the victims of deadly Jacksonville shooting

09:30 , Joe Sommerlad

You can watch the Florida community coming together to mourn the victims below.

Watch live: Vigil held for the victims of deadly Jacksonville shooting

Moms Demand Action founder hits out at Republicans, gun manufacturers and Christian nationalists

09:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, a gun control advocacy group, has joined the outcry over America’s latest gun violence incident in Jacksonville.

Everything we know about the Florida Dollar General shooting

08:30 , Joe Sommerlad

A gunman has killed three people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida in what authorities are calling a racially-motivated mass shooting.

Shortly after 1pm on Saturday, a man entered the store armed with an AR-style rifle, Glock handgun and “outfitted with a tactical vest,” Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters said at a press conference.

The three victims - two men and one woman - were Black. They were identified on Sunday as Angela Michelle Carr, 52, Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr, 19, and Jarrald De’Shaun Gallion, 29.

“This is a dark day in Jacksonville’s history. There is no place for hate in this community,” the sheriff said. “I am sickened by this cowardly shooter’s personal ideology.”

Kelly Rissman reports.

Everything we know about the Florida Dollar General Shooting

08:00 , Kelly Rissman

President Joe Biden reacted after the Jacksonville shooting

“We must refuse to live in a country where Black families going to the store or Black students going to school live in fear of being gunned down because of the color of their skin,” the president wrote.

Read the full statement:

Shooter first tried to enter a historic Black college

07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The 21-year-old gunman first went to Edward Waters University, where he refused to identify himself to a security guard and was told to leave the campus.

Around 11.39am he parked in a lot behind the university library where he was witnessed wearing a black bulletproof vest and latex gloves, sheriff TK Waters said.

He then drove to a nearby Dollar General store where he shot Angela Michelle Carr in her car, before walking inside the store and killing Anolt Joseph Laguerre.

The third victim, Jerrald De’Shaun Gallion, was shot when he entered the store after others fled through a back door.

According to the sheriff, the gunman allowed White people to leave the store during the attack.

Following the shooting, Edward Waters University went into a lockdown on Saturday until 4.35pm, the college said.

07:00 , Kelly Rissman

What the Florida Governor said in the wake of the shooting

Friends and family remember Jerrald Gallion

06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Jerrald Gallion, one of the victims of the racially motivated shooting in Florida, had planned to spend the weekend with his four-year-old daughter.

Gallion, 29, was shot as he entered the store’s front door with his girlfriend in a predominantly Black neighbourhood in Jacksonville.

“My brother shouldn’t have lost his life,” his sister, Latiffany Gallion, said Sunday. “A simple day of going to the store, and he’s taken away from us forever.”

Gallion’s friends and family recalled his sense of humour and work ethic. “He never missed a beat,” Gallion’s child’s maternal grandmother, Sabrina Rozier told reporters.

“He got her every weekend. As a matter of fact, he was supposed to have her (Saturday).”

Gallion attended St Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Jacksonville, bishop John Guns told a crowd during the prayer vigil on Sunday.

“In two weeks I have to preach a funeral of a man who should still be alive,” Guns said.

“He was not a gangster, he was not a thug — he was a father who gave his life to Jesus and was trying to get it together.”

06:00 , Kelly Rissman

Police post photos of the chilling engravings on one of the weapons used

One photo, shared on the sheriff’s office’s Facebook page, showed a close-up of the weapon with at least two swastikas and illegible writing in white paint or marker on one side of the weapon.

This photo also revealed the type and brand of gun, as the weapon had “Palmetto State Armory” and “PA-15” engraved. Palmetto State Armory’s website describes PA-15 rifles as “our interpretation of the legendary AR-15 rifle that you have grown to love.”

Ron DeSantis heckled at Jacksonville vigil

05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Florida governor Ron DeSantis was heckled at a vigil held in Jacksonville for the three victims killed in a racially motivated shooting.

A video from the incident shows Mr DeSantis speaking at the vigil before the crowd collectively begins to boo him, forcing the governor to step back from the microphone.

City councilperson Ju’Coby Pittman then steps in to say: “Listen y’all, we are going to put parties aside because it ain’t about parties today. A bullet don’t know a party.”

05:00 , Kelly Rissman

Jacksonville shooter, 21-year-old Ryan Palmeter, seen just in the parking lot of the Dollar General

FBI launches federal civil rights investigation

04:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting and will pursue the incident as a "hate crime", Sherri Onks, special agent in charge of the FBI's Jacksonville office said.

"Hate crimes are always and will always remain a top priority for the FBI because they are not only an attack on a victim, they're also meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community," Ms Onks said.

04:00 , Kelly Rissman

Haunting photos of the rifle used in the Jacksonville mass shooting revealed

03:00 , Kelly Rissman

Updated timeline of the tragedy, as provided by police

12.48pm - Suspect, Ryan Palmeter, arrived at the historically-Black Edward Waters University behind the library, donning a “bullet-proof vest,” gray tank top, black shorts, and latex gloves

12.57pm - The suspect left EWU.

12.58pm - EWU security followed the Palmeter out of the parking lot, as he headed toward the Dollar General.

1.08pm - The suspect “murdered the first victim” from the parking lot of the store, the sheriff said. Seconds later, he entered the store and “engaged the second victim.”

1.09pm - Suspect entered the rear door of the store, he shot at a security camera “several times” but missed; that’s when the first 911 call was made.

1.10pm - The third victim entered the store with his girlfriend

1.13pm - Palmeter shot the third victim; suspect chased a witness through the store, shooting at her, but missed and she safely exited the store from the rear door.

1.14pm - Palmeter entered the office in the store.

1.18pm - The suspect texted his father telling him to “use a screwdriver to get into my room,” where his father finds his son’s last will and testament and his suicide note on his laptop

1.19pm - Officers entered the store. They hear a single gunshot, which is when police believe the suspect killed himself.

02:00 , Kelly Rissman

Chilling CCTV shows Jacksonville shooter entering Florida store during deadly rampage

01:00 , Kelly Rissman

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy pressed on prevalence of raced-based attacks on right

When host Chuck Todd asked Mr Ramaswamy why he thinks race-based violent crimes are “a lot more pervasive on the right,” the entrepreneur replied, “I don’t think we should politicize this through partisan goggles.”

Watch the full exchange:

Monday 28 August 2023 00:15 , Kelly Rissman

Gun control group reacts to shooting

Everytown for Gun Safety posted a statement in the wake of the tragedy on X:

A hateful man, enabled by Florida’s weak gun laws and emboldened by its governor’s relentless attacks on marginalized people, destroyed a community’s sense of safety and forever changed the lives of the victims and survivors.

Florida’s lax gun laws make it easy for violent racists to arm themselves with an AR-15 and other assault weapons. We must keep guns out of dangerous hands and #DisarmHate to prevent more lives from being senselessly stolen.

Sunday 27 August 2023 23:15 , Kelly Rissman

DeSantis is mum on whether he will visit Jacksonville after mass shooting

The Florida governor hasn’t said whether he will visit the scene of a racially-motivated mass shooting that took place in his home state on Saturday, as he has been on the campaign trail this week in Iowa, John Bowden reports.

On Saturday, CNN reported that the DeSantis campaign had been asked whether the Republican governor would change his plans, and visit Jacksonville to pay respects to the victims’ families; a spokesperson said that the campaign “would let them know”.

Read the full story:

DeSantis is silent on whether he will visit Jacksonville after racially-motivated mass shooting

Sunday 27 August 2023 23:00 , Kelly Rissman

Who was Ryan Palmeter, the Jacksonville shooter?

Florida voter records show Palmeter was a registered Republican.

His X profile states that he attended Oakleaf High School in Clay County.

In 2018, in his only tweet, he posted a photo of a letter from Flagler College that read “You’re In!” and he wrote the caption: “Looking forward to a bright career in Business Administration!”

Sunday 27 August 2023 22:45 , Kelly Rissman

Following up on his remarks in the wake of the shooting, Mr DeSantis added additional comments today

The Florida governor said that the state condemns the “horrific racially-motivated murders perpetrated by a deranged scumbag.”

Watch the full clip here:

Sunday 27 August 2023 22:30 , Kelly Rissman

The 2016 domestic disturbance incident

According to Sheriff Waters, Palmeter’s parents called police in 2016 to report a domestic disturbance between Ryan Palmeter and his older brother, James.

Police records — obtained by multiple outlets — indicate James Palmeter is currently serving a prison sentence for a 2017 armed robbery.

Sheriff Waters did not detail the dispute between the two brothers aside from mentioning that Ryan, who was then a teen, was not arrested at the time.

Sunday 27 August 2023 22:15 , Kelly Rissman

Hakeem Jeffries releases a powerful statement in the wake of the shooting

“The racist shooting in Jacksonville is the inevitable consequence of reckless public officials who coddle right-wing extremists, whitewash painful parts of our history and flood our communities with weapons of war.”

Read the full statement here:

Sunday 27 August 2023 22:00 , Kelly Rissman

Attorney General Merrick Garland on the shooting

“Yesterday in Jacksonville, Florida, three people were killed in a horrific act of hate. In the wake of the mass shooting, FBI and ATF agents responded to the scene and are continuing to work closely with local law enforcement on the ground. The Justice Department is investigating this attack as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism. The entire Justice Department extends its deepest condolences to the loved ones of the victims and to the Jacksonville community as they mourn an unimaginable loss.

No person in this country should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence and no family should have to grieve the loss of a loved one to bigotry and hate. One of the Justice Department’s first priorities upon its founding in 1870 was to bring to justice white supremacists who used violence to terrorize Black Americans. That remains our urgent charge today. The Justice Department will never stop working to protect everyone in our country from unlawful acts of hate.”

Sunday 27 August 2023 21:45 , Kelly Rissman

President Joe Biden’s statement on the Jacksonville shooting

On Saturday, our nation marked the 60^th Anniversary of the March on Washington — a seminal moment in our history and in our work towards equal opportunity for all Americans. But this day of remembrance and commemoration ended with yet another American community wounded by an act of gun violence, reportedly fueled by hate-filled animus and carried out with two firearms.

Yesterday in Jacksonville, Florida a white gunman went on a shooting rampage at a store near a Historically Black University and killed three Black individuals. While we still need to learn more about the motivation for Saturday’s shooting, law enforcement has opened a federal civil rights investigation and is treating this incident as a possible hate crime and act of domestic violent extremism.

Even as we continue searching for answers, we must say clearly and forcefully that white supremacy has no place in America. We must refuse to live in a country where Black families going to the store or Black students going to school live in fear of being gunned down because of the color of their skin. Hate must have no safe harbor. Silence is complicity and we must not remain silent.

Jill and I are praying for the victims and their families, and we grieve with the people of Jacksonville.

Sunday 27 August 2023 21:15 , Kelly Rissman

The suspect’s actions

Before killing three people on Saturday, Ryan Palmeter, 21, wrote “several manifestos” that showed a “disgusting ideology of hate,” Sheriff Waters said. On Saturday, the sheriff called his writings the “diary of a madman.”

“He was lucid,” the sheriff reflected. “He knew what he was doing.”

Sheriff Waters said it seems as though the suspect “purchased those guns completely legally.” He added, “When a person grabs a gun with hateful intentions, it’s very difficult to stop [a tragedy] from happening.”

Sunday 27 August 2023 20:45 , Kelly Rissman

Updated timeline, per police

12.48pm - Suspect, Ryan Palmeter, arrived at the historically-Black Edward Waters University behind the library, donning a “bullet-proof vest,” gray tank top, black shorts, and latex gloves

12.57pm - The suspect left EWU.

12.58pm - EWU security followed the Palmeter out of the parking lot, as he headed toward the Dollar General.

1.08pm - The suspect “murdered the first victim” from the parking lot of the store, the sheriff said. Seconds later, he entered the store and “engaged the second victim.”

1.09pm - Suspect entered the rear door of the store, he shot at a security camera “several times” but missed; that’s when the first 911 call was made.

1.10pm - The third victim entered the store with his girlfriend

1.13pm - Palmeter shot the third victim; suspect chased a witness through the store, shooting at her, but missed and she safely exited the store from the rear door.

1.14pm - Palmeter entered the office in the store.

1.18pm - The suspect texted his father telling him to “use a screwdriver to get into my room,” where his father finds his son’s last will and testament and his suicide note on his laptop

1.19pm - Officers entered the store. They hear a single gunshot, which is when police believe the suspect killed himself.

Sunday 27 August 2023 20:15 , Kelly Rissman

Police also identified the three victims of the shooting

The victims were named as Angela Michelle Carr, 52, Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr, 19, and Jarrald De’Shaun Gallion, 29.

Sheriff Waters said on Sunday, “We continue to pray for the loved ones of those who were lost through this maniac’s acts of senseless violence.”

The shooter was identified as Ryan Christopher Palmeter, 21. He lived with his parents in Orange Park in Clay County, the sheriff added.

Sunday 27 August 2023 20:00 , Kelly Rissman

Statement from the Anti-Defamation League in the wake of the shooting:

ADL is aware of a mass shooting in Jacksonville, FL, believed to be motivated by anti-Black racism with three fatalities, all of whom are Black.

A gunman opened fire in a local dollar store in a predominantly Black neighborhood after reportedly being spotted by security at a local HBCU nearby. The shooter left a hateful, racist manifesto.

That this attack occurred while tens of thousands gathered in our nation’s capital for the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, serves as a painful reminder of how much work needs to be done to realize Dr. King’s Dream.

ADL Center on Extremism will continue tracking this horrific, hateful attack. The victims, their families, and their community are in our prayers.

Sunday 27 August 2023 20:00 , Kelly Rissman

Jacksonville mass shooting suspect named

Sunday 27 August 2023 19:42 , Kelly Rissman

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reacts to the tragic shooting

Gunman is named

Sunday 27 August 2023 19:21 , Louise Boyle

The gunman who killed three people in the racially-motivated attack in Florida has been identified as 21-year-old Ryan Palmeter by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Sunday 27 August 2023 19:00 , Kelly Rissman

Statement from Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas:

The Department of Homeland Security is closely monitoring the situation surrounding this afternoon’s racially-motivated shooting in Jacksonville, Florida that led to the tragic, senseless death of three innocent people today. We are and will continue to provide support to law enforcement and to the Jacksonville community to help keep Floridians safe.

I have spoken with Jacksonville Mayor Deegan and to national civil rights leaders. Too many Americans – in Jacksonville and across our country – have lost a loved one because of racially-motivated violence. The Department of Homeland Security is committed to working with our state and local partners to help prevent another such abhorrent, tragic event from occurring.

Sunday 27 August 2023 18:45 , Kelly Rissman

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy pressed on prevalence of raced-based attacks on right

When host Chuck Todd asked Mr Ramaswamy why he thinks race-based violent crimes are “a lot more pervasive on the right,” the entrepreneur replied, “I don’t think we should politicize this through partisan goggles.”

Watch the full exchange:

Sunday 27 August 2023 18:28 , Kelly Rissman

A chilling photo of the assault rifle used in the shooting was posted by police

Sunday 27 August 2023 17:54 , Kelly Rissman

Jacksonville Jaguar owner speaks out in wake of shooting

Shad Khan, the owner of the football team, released a statement on Sunday morning: “The heartache I share with family and friends of the victims today is deepened knowing this tragedy in New Town will be remembered as an act of hatred against Black people of our community.”

He continued, “Some things in our lives are beyond our control, but we are able to determine how we treat, respect and love each other. Hatred cannot be a choice. No one should be victim of hatred. No one should hate.”

Sunday 27 August 2023 17:20 , Kelly Rissman

Senator Tim Scott, who is running for president, said he was “devastated” by the shooting

Sunday 27 August 2023 16:50 , Kelly Rissman

The timeline

11.40am - The gunman, who has yet to be identified, left his parents’ house in Clay County, Florida and headed to Jacksonville

1.18pm - The shooter’s father received a text from his son, telling him to check his computer. His parents then found several “manifestoes” written by the gunman for his parents, law enforcement, and the media, which showcased the shooter’s “disgusting ideology of hate,” according to Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters

1.53pm - His father called the Clay County Sheriff’s office, Sheriff Waters added, explaining, “By that time, [the shooter] had begun his shooting spree inside the Dollar General.”

Sunday 27 August 2023 16:39 , Kelly Rissman

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office posted photos of the gun used in the tragic shooting

One photo, shared on the sheriff’s office’s Facebook page, showed a close-up of the gun with at least two swastikas and illegible writing in white paint or marker on one side of the weapon.

This photo also revealed the type and brand of gun, as the weapon had “Palmetto State Armory” and “PA-15” engraved. Palmetto State Armory’s website describes PA-15 rifles as “our interpretation of the legendary AR-15 rifle that you have grown to love.”

Sunday 27 August 2023 16:30 , Kelly Rissman

Gun control advocate speaks out

The president of Brady United Against Gun Violence, Kris Brown tweeted in the wake of the shooting:

“Really? The NRA tweeted this just hours after a gunman used his swastika-ridden AR-15 — which is the weapon of choice for America’s mass shooters — to target and kill 3 Black people at a Dollar General in Jacksonville.”

Sunday 27 August 2023 16:09 , Kelly Rissman

NRA posts on X promoting AR-15 hours after Jacksonville shooting where gunman used assault rifle

Sunday 27 August 2023 15:50 , Kelly Rissman

March on Washington speakers addressed hate crimes as Jacksonville shooting occurred on the 60th anniversary of the historic march

Jonathan Greenblatt, Director of the Anti-Defamation League, also spoke about the prevalence of hate and racism in his speech at the March on Washington:

In 1963, we came here to this place alongside Dr. King and so many other leaders, to demand equal rights, justice and fair treatment to all.

Now today, we’ve come here once again to demand equal rights, justice and fair treatment to all.

Because we know – that hate still exists…

And the work of fighting hate — together — continues.

Sunday 27 August 2023 15:30 , Kelly Rissman

Jacksonville shooting occurred on the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington

Thousands gathered on the National Mall in Washington, DC on Saturday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of MLK Jr delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech. Speakers took the opportunity to underscore the tragic fact that hate crimes occur way too frequently—as one happened on this historic day.

Actor and activist Sacha Baron Cohen also spoke, acknowledging the “surge in hate crimes” in the age of social media usage.

“We always have a choice. Today, the choices we make are more important than ever because the forces of hate have a new weapon that was not available in 1963—social media. These social media platforms deliberately amplify content that triggers outrage and fear, including fear of ‘the other.’”

“This technology gives an advantage to the intolerant. They’ve gone from Klan rallies to chat rooms, from marches to message boards. It’s how they spread their filth, recruit new members, and plan their attacks. And we’ve all seen the deadly results. A surge in hate crimes. The murder of religious and ethnic minorities.”

Later in his speech, he linked online hate to hate crimes:

“Hate in the virtual world kills in the real world. How many more people have to die?”

Sunday 27 August 2023 15:00 , Kelly Rissman

House Democrat Bill Pascrell points fingers at Republicans after assault rifle used in shooting

Sunday 27 August 2023 14:45 , Kelly Rissman

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the shooting

Sunday 27 August 2023 14:30 , Kelly Rissman

Recap: What happened at the Jacksonville shooting

Just after 1pm on Saturday an individual “outfitted with a tactical vest” entered the store armed with an AR-style rifle and a handgun. The shooter “killed three people before turning the gun on himself, taking his own life,” Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters said at a press conference.

There are two male victims and two female victims, he added, but didn’t identify them or the gunman.

“All of the deceased victims are Black,” he added.

Sunday 27 August 2023 14:08 , Kelly Rissman

Florida Congressman condemned the shooter — and Ron DeSantis

Florida Democratic Rep Maxwell Frost wrote on X: “A racist bigot walked into a store to murder Black people. A racist bigot felt comfortable enough to walk into a store to murder Black people. The far-right fascist movement, embraced by Gov @RonDeSantis, is murdering people.”

Recap: White gunman killed three victims in Florida with assault rifle covered in Nazi swastikas

Sunday 27 August 2023 12:40 , Arpan Rai

A white male gunman wearing tactical gear killed three people at a Florida Dollar General store in a “racially motivated” attack using an AR-15-style assault rifle and Glock handgun covered in Nazi swastikas say police.

The shocking incident in Jacksonville on Saturday is now being investigated as a racially motivated hate crime by the FBI and local law enforcement.

The gunman, who has not been identified, “hated Black people,” Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters told a press conference.

The suspect was described by Waters as a white male in his early 20s and the sheriff said that all three victims - two men and a woman - were Black.

“He targeted a certain group of people, and that’s Black people,” Sheriff Waters said.

Graeme Massi reports:

White gunman killed three victims in Florida with assault rifle covered in swastikas

Latest shooting takes total this year to 469

Sunday 27 August 2023 11:34 , Arpan Rai

Mass shootings have become commonplace in the US, with more than 469 so far in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The nonprofit group defines a mass shooting as any in which four or more people are wounded or killed, not including the shooter.

Saturday’s incident in Jacksonville bears similarity to last year’s shooting in Buffalo, where a white supremacist killed 10 Black people, and took place five years after another gunman opened fire during a video game tournament in Jacksonville, killing two people before shooting himself.

Florida governor condemns shooting: ‘Totally unacceptable'

Sunday 27 August 2023 10:33 , Arpan Rai

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis condemned the shooting and the shooter took “the coward’s way out”.

“The shooting, based on the manifesto that they discovered from the scumbag who did this, was racially motivated. He was targeting people based on their race. That is totally unacceptable,” DeSantis said.