Before a racist mass shooter killed three Black people at a Dollar General in Jacksonville, Florida, he tried to carry out the hate crime at a nearby HBCU.
Source: Brandon Bell / Getty
While fascist Republican leaders attempt to erase the history of white supremacist violence from schools and books, a coward with a gun doomed another community to repeat it. NewsOne reports a white man in his 20s opened fire on Black patrons at a Jacksonville Dollar General. The racist attack left three victims dead.
Please note the Jacksonville gunman was in his early 20s. Implying that racism will simply evaporate after a certain generation is foolish and naive. It also absolves people from having to do any real work. Racism + white supremacy are thriving problems in our society that are…
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) August 27, 2023
According to Jacksonville County Sheriff T.K. Waters, his manifestos make it undeniably clear that this was an anti-Black hate crime. He revealed a well-documented history of the cowardly killer’s hate.
The shooter sent manifestos to the media, law enforcement, and his parents, highlighting the racist indoctrination that fueled the attack. His parents notified the police after he instructed them to check his computer to read one, but by then, it was too late.
“Portions of these manifestos detail the shooter's disgusting ideology of hate. This shooting was racially motivated and he hated black people.” pic.twitter.com/OICdJ3n7xb
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 26, 2023
“Portions of these manifestos detail the shooter’s disgusting ideology of hate. This shooting was racially motivated and he hated black people. He wanted to kill n*ggers,” said Waters, who is also Black.
CNN reports the gunman, identified as Ryan Christopher Palmeter, drew swastikas on his firearm. For the attack, he used a Glock handgun he bought in April and an AR-15-style rifle he bought in June. Both purchases were legal in Florida, despite his involuntary detention for a mental health observation under the Baker Act in 2017. That history should have prevented him from buying those guns in the first place.
If you didn't point to U.S. homicide rates to downplay 9/11 or any other act of terror, I don't want to see you bringing up Chicago or Black homicide rates to downplay terroristic violence against Black Americans in Jacksonville or elsewhere. We're not fooled.
— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) August 27, 2023
These people are giving “what about Chicago” talking points when speaking on that racist hate crime in Jacksonville. It’s really nothing more than a racist talking point. We get no empathy or solutions while gun violence pervades this country. It’s everywhere.
— Morgan Elise Johnson (@MorganEliseJ) August 27, 2023
We don’t have much gun control in this country, and the ones we’ve got don’t seem much stronger than the recycled “thoughts and prayers” of politicians who profit from the violence. The shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot.
The sheriff identified the victims as Angela Michelle Carr, 52; Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr., 19; and Jerrald Gallion, 29. The Justice Department is investigating the shooting as a hate crime.
As heartbreaking as this latest instance of White Supremacist Terrorism is, it could have been even more devastating.
The Jacksonville Shooter Tried To Enter Nearby HBCU Edward Waters University Before Opening Fire At Dollar General
Source: – / Getty
Campus security at Edward Waters University reported the gunman tried to enter the campus earlier that afternoon. A guard asked him to leave when he refused to identify himself.
“The individual returned to their car and left campus without incident. The encounter was reported to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office by EWU security,” the school announced.
As the elaborately written rants and tactical gear indicate, the terrorist’s plans included far more death and destruction. In addition to a more crowded original target, he picked a date with historical relevance. Saturday marked the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington. It was also the 5th anniversary of another mass shooting in downtown Jacksonville.
On August 27, 1960, a significant event unfolded in Jacksonville, Florida. Rodney Hurst, the 16-year-old President of the NAACP Youth Council, along with numerous fellow activists, organized a peaceful sit-in protest at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter marked for "whites… pic.twitter.com/55xREhvw9O
— Kenny Akers (@KeneAkers) August 27, 2023
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis condemned the shooting, calling the gunman a “scumbag” and a “coward.” If that’s how he feels about anti-Black hatred, DeSantis should repeat that to the mirror. When the NAACP issued a travel advisory warning about anti-Black violence in Florida, DeSantis called it “nothing more than a stunt.”
So, Ron DeSantis just said “targeting people due to their race has no place in Florida.” Seriously, Ron? You’ve targeted Black people in Florida, making it harder for them to vote, suppressing their history & voices, & saying slavery had benefits. Give me a break, Ron.
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) August 27, 2023
NAACP looked at Florida’s racist policies & issued a Florida travel warning for Black people in May. DeSantis called it a stunt.😐
Let’s be clear—this wasn’t a random terrorist attack, it was the inevitable predictable result of state sanctioned white supremacy. #Jacksonville pic.twitter.com/7fxTPDmxz2
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) August 27, 2023
How much is Ron Desantis to Blame for the Jacksonville shooting?? pic.twitter.com/88DUUemh8O
— Conscious Lee (@TheConsciousLee) August 27, 2023
President Joe Biden released a statement confirming that “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.”
Jill and I are praying for the victims, their families, and the people of Jacksonville following yesterday’s shooting.
As we continue searching for answers, we must say clearly and forcefully that white supremacy has no place in America.
Here’s my full statement. pic.twitter.com/tdxxnZnPGk
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 27, 2023
“[W]e 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,” Biden said.
State Sen. Tracie Davis on Jacksonville shooting: "Those three people were gunned down because they were Black. We are in 2023 and we are dealing with racial issues like this. It's devastating… simply knowing that you are targeted because of the color of your skin." pic.twitter.com/GSK2T2umEA
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 27, 2023
The community held a prayer vigil Saturday night at St. Paul AME Church down the street. Jacksonville City Council member Rahman Pittman will lead a memorial vigil Sunday evening at 5:30 p.m. near the Dollar General.
Jacksonville city council Rahman Johnson and Ju’Coby Pittman holding a community prayer on Kings Rd after a shooting @FCN2go pic.twitter.com/SRxPxfhGZf
— Atyia Collins (@Atyia_Collins) August 26, 2023
Our condolences go out to the victims and their loved ones. We will keep you updated as this story continues to develop.
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