3 Black People Killed in Shooting: Three Victims Identified after Racially-Motivated Attack at Dollar General in Jacksonville

In a racially motivated attack, 3 Black people killed at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville (Photo: The New York Times)

White Man Suspect: 3 Black People Killed in Jacksonville Hate Crime Shooting

According to CBS News, in Jacksonville, Florida, authorities have identified 3 Black people killed who tragically lost their lives in a hate crime investigation. The victims include Angela Carr, aged 52, Anolt Laguerre, Jr., aged 19, and Jerrald De’Shaun Gallion, aged 29, with Laguerre employed at Dollar General. According to Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters, the alleged shooter, 21-year-old Ryan Palmeter, a White man, took his own life. Palmeter unleashed 11 rounds into a car, resulting in Carr’s death, then entered Dollar General to fatally shoot Laguerre, and later returned to end Gallion’s life, with 3 Black people killed in this tragic incident. Palmeter was equipped with tactical gear and wielded a Glock and an AR-15-style rifle adorned with swastikas.

Attorney General Merrick Garland characterized the incident as racially motivated violent extremism, with 3 Black people killed, and confirmed that it is being investigated as a hate crime. During the commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, President Biden condemned white supremacy and called for decisive action against racial violence, emphasizing the importance of breaking the silence surrounding such matters.

“While they seek solutions, it’s vital to unequivocally declare that there’s no room for white supremacy in America,” President Biden asserted. “They can’t tolerate a nation where Black families shopping or Black students attending school are fearful of gun violence due to their skin color. They must shun hate, as silence only supports it.”

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Sheriff Details Timeline of Dollar General Attack Investigation, 3 Black People Killed

According to CNN, Sheriff Waters provided a detailed timeline of the attack, in which 3 Black people killed. The shooter left his Clay County residence around 11:39 a.m. and arrived in Jacksonville at 12:48 p.m., stopping at Edward Waters University in a bulletproof vest. University police reported a suspicious person. At 1:08 p.m., he shot into a car, killing Angela Carr, and then entered Dollar General, killing Anolt Laguerre. He pursued others, later returning to fatally shoot Jerrald De’Shaun Gallion.

At 1:18 p.m., he messaged his father about a will and a suicide note, with 3 Black people killed. Officers entered the store at 1:19 p.m., around 11 minutes after the shooting began, hearing a gunshot, presumably the shooter taking his life. The attack was racially motivated, with the suspect expressing hatred for Black people. Two video clips were shared, showing the shooter’s actions. The shooter seemed to have no prior connection to the victims and acted alone. Sheriff Waters mourned the tragic loss, emphasizing the hate behind the rampage.

Waters labeled the shooter as a “madman”, emphasizing the futility of seeking reason behind such a senseless act. He urged against trying to find any justification for the shooter’s actions. He also highlighted that the shooter’s hateful ideology does not represent the values of the Jacksonville community, which stands united against violence. Waters pledged to pursue the investigation relentlessly until all avenues of accountability are exhausted.

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