Ron DeSantis booed at Jacksonville vigil as police say racist Florida shooter bought weapons legally

Jan 06, 2024

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

Two men and a woman were killed on Saturday by a 21-year-old white man named Ryan Palmeter, who “hated Black people”. The victims were identified as Angela Michelle Carr, 52, Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr, 19, and Jarrald De’Shaun Gallion, 29.

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.

Ju'Coby Pittman, a Jacksonville city councilperson who represents the neighbourhood where the shooting took place, stepped in and asked the crowd to listen.

The shooting took place at a Dollar General store just blocks from the historically-Black Edward Waters University.

Shortly before the gunman went on a killing spree, his parents called law enforcement to say they had found a manifesto. The gunman had reportedly called his parents ahead of the attack and told them to look at his computer.

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

Gunman and three victims dead after mass shooting at Florida Dollar General store

Chilling CCTV shows Jacksonville shooter entering store during deadly rampage

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

Florida governor Ron DeSantis heckled at vigil for victims

Shooter had authored manifestos before going on a killing rampage

19:00 , Ariana Baio

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the shooting in Jacksonville, Florida that occurred on the same day as the anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream speech.

“Sadly, this day of remembrance ended with yet more American communities wounded by an act of gun violence,” Ms Jean-Pierre said on Monday afternoon.

“We must say clearly and forcefully that white supremacy has no place in America.”

The gunman who opened fire left several notes behind indicating his dislike for Black people and that the shooting was conducted to intentionally target Black people.

“Hate must have no safe harbour, silence is complicity, and we must not remain silent,” Ms Jean-Pierre added before advocating for gun control.

18:30 , Ariana Baio

“Angie Nixon responded to the community’s anger, saying “at the end of the day, the governor has blood on his hands.”

Nixon is right. DeSantis, and the GOP, have created a climate where violent, racist terrorists have the means and inspiration to commit horrific acts of violence against Black people and other marginalized communities. An increasingly rabid gun rights movement has been cultivated, and with it rabid racist rhetoric, because of what?

A political advantage to capitalize on paranoia and hate. And when followers are fed this diet, the result is a political movement that encourages acts of racist political violence.”

Noah Berlatsky writes:

Ron DeSantis didn’t listen. No wonder Jacksonville booed him

18:00 , Ariana Baio

17:30 , Ariana Baio

The alleged gunman who shot dead three people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday was able to buy the weapons he used in the attack legally, despite once having been taken into the state’s care after suffering a mental health episode, law enforcement has said.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

How was Jacksonville shooting suspect Ryan Palmeter able to buy an AR-15-style rifle?

17:00 , Ariana Baio

Jerrald Gallion, a devoted father and member of the Jacksonville community, is among the victims who were killed in a racially motivated shooting this past weekend.

Gallion, 29, was the father to a four-year-old daughter before he was shot and killed by the gunman at the Dollar General on Saturday.

His family described him as hardworking and devoted to co-parenting his daughter.

“He never missed a beat,” Sabrina Rozier, the maternal grandmother to Gallion’s daughter told The Associated Press. “He got her every weekend. As a matter of fact, he was supposed to have her (Saturday).”

16:30 , Ariana Baio

On X, formerly known as Twitter, vice president Kamala Harris wrote: ”I am heartbroken by yesterday’s shooting in Jacksonville. This act was reportedly driven by racism and hatred, carried out with a weapon of war that should never have been on the streets. These tragedies must stop. We must renew the ban on assault weapons. It is long overdue.”

16:00 , Ariana Baio

The gunman who carried out the shooting at a Dollar General in Jacksonville, Florida first went to Edward Waters University, authorities said.

The gunman, identified as 21-year-old Ryan Christopher Palmeter, left his parents’ home in Clay County around 11.40am on Saturday and went to the campus of the historically Black college.

Authorities said it is unclear why he went to the college but when he arrived he refused to identify himself to a security guard and was told to leave.

“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 said in a press release.

15:30 , Ariana Baio

The gunman who shot dead three people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday afternoon in a racially motivated attack has been named as 21-year-old Ryan Christopher Palmeter.

Armed with an AR 15-style rifle and Glock handgun and sporting a tactical vest and face mask, the shooter fired 11 rounds into a car in the store’s parking lot – killing his first victim – shortly after 1pm on Saturday before entering the Dollar General in the city’s New Town neighbourhood, allowing some shoppers to leave before opening fire on those who remained, finally turning his gun on himself.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Who is Ryan Palmeter? What we know about racist Dollar General shooter

15:00 , Ariana Baio

Just hours after a gunman opened fire in a Dollar General, killing three people, the National Rifle Association (NRA) posted a pro-gun photo on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The post took a quote by President Joe Biden saying “Nobody needs an AR-15” and claimed that most Americans “disagree” with this.

“Americans vehemently disagree with Joe on this. Millions of law-abiding citizens own and use AR-15s to defend themselves and their families,” the NRA wrote.

Gun activists criticised the organisation for posting the pro-gun ad just hours after the gunman in Jacksonville used an AR-15-style rifle.

Fred Guttenberg, a gun-control activist, responded: “No entity has worked harder than the NRA to fuel gun violence in America. The American Carnage on our streets is because of them. More guns are not making us safer.”

14:30 , Ariana Baio

Florida state representative Angie Nixon said she was upset over governor Ron DeSantis’ statement regarding the Jacksonville shooting because she believes it was hypocritical of his actions.

“At the end of the day, the governor has blood on his hands. He has had an all-out attack on the Black community with his anti-woke policies which we know was nothing more than a dog whistle to get folks up and riled up in the way in which it just happened yesterday,” Ms Nixon said to MSNBC

“Throughout the past few legislative sessions, we [Nixon and other Black representatives] have repeatedly told him what his rhetoric was going to do and that is exactly what has transpired on yesterday.”

14:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The 21-year-old authored several manifestos, where he detailed his hatred of Black people, Jacksonville sheriff TK Waters said.

The manifestos "detailed the shooter's disgusting ideology of hate", the sheriff said yesterday."Finely put: this shooting was racially motivated and he hated black people."

"The manifesto is, quite frankly... the diary of a madman," he said. "He knew what he was doing. He was 100% lucid. He knew what he was doing and again, it's disappointing that anyone would go to these lengths to hurt someone else.”

13:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Jerrald Gallion planned to spend the weekend with his 4-year-old daughter but the devoted father was instead one of three Black people gunned down Saturday afternoon at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida.

Gallion, 29, was shot as he entered the store’s front door with his girlfriend in a predominantly Black neighborhood. The killing marked him as another victim in the latest racist attack in the US.

“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.”

You can read more here.

Jacksonville shooting: Father, 29, among three killed in racially-motivated attack

13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

“I am absolutely a proponent of common sense gun legislation,” Mayor Donna Deegan said on MSNBC on Sunday, warning Florida is “going backwards” on the issue.

You can watch the full clip here:

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

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.”

11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

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

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

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

You can watch Sunday’s press conference below.

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

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.

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:

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

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.”

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

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 60th 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

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.”

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

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.

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.