This past weekend, a racist white man went on a hunt to kill Black people in Jacksonville, Florida.
According to reports, the shooter fatally shot two men and one woman, who are all Black, before killing himself. Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said in a statement, “This shooting was racially motivated, and he hated Black people.”
The gunman was identified as Ryan Christopher Palmeter and it was stated that he “acted alone and there is no evidence he was part of any group.” The victims were 52-year-old Angela Michelle Carr, 29-year-old Jerrald De’Shaun Gallion, and 19-year-old Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr.
Sheriff Waters added, “This is a dark day in Jacksonville’s history. Any loss of life is tragic, but the hate that motivated the shooter’s killing spree adds an additional layer of heartbreak.”
The gunman was reportedly wearing a tactical vest and was armed with an AR-15 rifle that had swastika markings on it. He also carried a handgun. Authorities also revealed that Palmeter texted his father and told him to check his computer when multiple manifestoes were found.
His parents called the Sheriff’s office but the shooting was taking place. “EWU issued a public safety alert alerting students to the shooting, which occurred near its campus.”
Special agent Sherri Onks spoke about the shooting and said that they are investigating the incident as a hate crime. “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.”
Ron DeSantis, Florida’s Governor said, “He was targeting people based on their race. That is totally unacceptable. This guy killed himself rather than face the music and accept responsibility for his actions, and so he took the coward’s way out. But we condemn what happened in the strongest possible terms.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the victims.