A video just released by police and published by the Independent shows the Jacksonville shooter as he entered the Dollar General store where he shot and killed three victims. The Dollar General is located near the campus of the historically black Edward Waters University.
The 21-year-old shooter Ryan Palmeter was initially seen near the library on the campus but security guards tried to take him into custody and he escaped.
The shooting, which was racially motivated left 3 Black Americans dead. Authorities said the gunman carried an AR-15 assault rifle decorated with swastikas. The shooter who posted a racist manifesto ended up killing himself.
According to the Associated Press the victims “Angela Michelle Carr, 52, was shot in her car outside the Dollar General; store employee A.J. Laguerre, 19, was shot as he tried to flee; while customer Jerrald Gallion, 29, was shot as he entered the store. No one else was injured.”
The AP states Palmeter “lived in neighboring Clay County with his parents. Sheriff Waters said Palmeter had been involved in a 2016 domestic violence incident that did not lead to an arrest and was involuntarily committed for a 72-hour mental health examination the following year. Palmeter used two guns — a Glock handgun and an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle. Waters said they were purchased legally earlier this year.”
Adding that during the racially motivated attack, “Palmeter texted his father and told him to break into his room and check his computer. There, the father found a suicide note, a will, and racist writings from his son. The family notified authorities, but by then the shooting had already begun, the sheriff said. Officials say there were writings to his family, federal law enforcement, and at least one media outlet. Sheriff Waters said that the shooter made clear in his writings that he hated Black people.”
Florida State Rep. Angie Nixon said of the tragedy. “We must be clear, it was not just racially motivated, it was racist violence that has been perpetuated by rhetoric and policies designed to attack Black people, period.”
A memorial that was held to honor the victims of this senseless tragedy was attended by Republican presidential candidate Ron Desantis. Desantis used the memorial as a sickening strategy to help his fledgling campaign. He was understandably booed and taunted by the crowd. Desantis’ racially insensitive policies. Along with his removal of any semblance of gun control laws in Florida. No doubt, are factors that allowed this troubled young man to purchase his firearms legally.
Republican lawmakers racially motivated rhetoric has been a huge factor in the divisive climate seen throughout America. While their anti-gun control policies are drafted by NRA lobbyists. Who line the pockets of Republicans in Florida and around the nation with millions of dollars. This is the leading reason that young mass shooters are rampant in the Republican-led States. GOP officials have slashed all common sense gun control legislation. So even those who have checkered pasts are still obtaining legal guns.
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan about today’s political rhetoric. “I’ve heard some people say that some of the rhetoric that we hear doesn’t really represent what’s in people’s hearts, it’s just the game. It’s just the political game. To those three people who lost their lives, that’s not a game.”
For more on this story check the Associated Press article
https://apnews.com/article/deadly-shooting-florida-store-race-bd2bf9591f40903a923dbd8a46d8fb97
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