Gunman who 'hated Black people' kills 3 in shop after writing racist manifesto

26 August 2023 , 23:28

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Police rushed to the scene after gunshots rang out at the shop in Jacksonville, Florida (Image: AP)

A masked gunman who murdered three innocent victims inside a store "hated Black people" and left behind a racist manifesto, police have revealed.

Ryan Palmeter, a 21-year-old Oakleaf resident, fatally shot three Black people using a gun painted with a swastika. Officers in Jacksonville, Florida, shared pictures of the bloodstained AR-15 assault rifle and handgun used in the white supremacist death spree.

The victims were identified as Angela Michelle Carr, 52, who was shot in her car; store employee AJ Laguerre, 19, who was shot as he tried to flee; and customer Gerrald Gallion, 29, who was shot as he entered the store.

Jerrald, whose picture was recently released, was a father, and he had planned to spend the day with his 4-year-old daughter. But the devoted family man was gunned down right next to his girlfriend as he entered the store on Saturday.

The guns were littered with drawings of hate symbols, including swastikas, the images revealed. And they were used to claim the lives of three innocent Black people — two men and one woman, whose identities have not yet been officially revealed. The killer, who was a white man, shot himself dead at the scene and has also not been identified.

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Swastikas were drawn on the shooter's guns prior to him using them to kill three (Frst Coast News)

Speaking at a press conference, Sheriff T.K. Waters called Palmeters manifesto a "disgusting ideology of hate" and said: "This shooting was racially motivated. He wanted to kill n****rs — that's the one and only time I'll use that word." (Waters had been quoting the manifesto when he used the racial slur.)

The sheriff added that the Palmeter "hated Black people" and was driven by a longing to murder.

Police released this picture of Palmeter (@JSOPIO/Twitter)

The manifesto also referenced the Jacksonville Landing shooting that happened exactly five years ago on August 26, 2018, said Mayor Donna Deegan. That mass casualty event claimed the lives of three people, including the shooter, and injured 10 others who were at a video game tournament in that neighbourhood of the Floridian city.

"It's too often the same folks [affected by] this type of hate," Deegan said.

Sherri E. Onks, the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) for the local FBI field office, said the federal agency is opening up a civil rights investigation, filing the event as a hate crime with the Department of Justice. She emphasised that investigating hate crimes is a top priority for the FBI and every federal agency and that her office would be doing its due diligence to look at every angle of the shooting.

The shooting reportedly occurred sometime around 1:30pm at the Dollar General on Kings Road, Waters said. The suspect had texted his father at 1:18pm to "check his computer," and when the dad did at 1:53pm, he immediately called the police.

Jerrald Gallion had planned to spend the day with his daughter but never got the chance (Facebook)

But the shooting had already begun, and in a matter of minutes, the three innocent victims at the store were already dead. The shooter then barricaded himself inside the store and got into a standoff with the police, which ended in him shooting himself dead.

Palmeter first made his way to the store from the nearby Edward Waters University campus, where witnesses reported that they had seen him strapping on a ballistics vest, then fleeing from campus security. He had allegedly been aiming to shoot students and professors at the historically Black university instead of the Dollar General but got spooked by the security personnel.

By the time the suspect had reached the Dollar General, he was wearing full gear — the vest, a mask and gloves. A SWAT team was called out, and within minutes, a massive police presence was at the scene, including a police helicopter flying overhead to search the area for any additional suspects.

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Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters addressed the media in a conference following the mass shooting (Frst Coast News)

A witness at the scene told News4Jax that he had been mere seconds away from entering the store to shop but had turned back when he realised he had no cash on him. Seconds later, he heard the gunshots ringing out and saw a gunman firing at cars. He told the outlet that he turned around and saw a woman running and a man fall back.

Waters later said in the press conference that the authorities believe the gunman had acted alone and that he was not tied to a group — just his wicked ideologies.

The father of the shooter later shared the racist manifesto he and the suspect's mother had received around the time of the shooting, which is what had prompted the dad to phone the authorities. It was one of three — the killer also sent a message to the media and another to federal agents, Waters said.

The AR-15, which is covered in swastikas, that the killer used to slaughter the three innocent Black victims

Brady, an activist organisation that fights gun violence, released as statement from its president, Kris Brown: “As we’ve seen time and time again, hate combined with easy access to firearms is an incredibly deadly combination. Only in America are Black people gunned down with a swastika-adorned assault weapon. People who want to commit racist terror should never be allowed to access a firearm."

"Sadly, today’s tragedy is not unique as each year, over 10,000 are victims of hate crimes involving a firearm," the organisation continued. "Additionally, Florida's incredibly weak gun safety laws, including its recent permitless concealed carry law, are increasingly put Americans at risk of mass shootings like this. Our hearts go out to the families and survivors of this horrific tragedy.”

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan speaks during a press conference following the tragedy (Frst Coast News)

Florida governor Ron DeSantis released a statement of his own, saying that the shooting was "a very cowardly act" and that his administration supports the victims and their families and "condemn what happened in the strongest possible terms."

The Leadership Conference, an activist group focused on Civil Rights, released a statement as well that called the shooting "yet another heinous act fueled by hatred" and noted the fact that it had occurred just two days before the 60th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, which featured Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech.

Following the incident, both President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland were briefed. Dollar General also released a statement about the incident.

"We are heartbroken by the senseless act of violence that occurred at our Kings Road store in Jacksonville, Florida today. At this time, supporting our Jacksonville employees and the DG family impacted by this tragedy is a top priority as we work closely with law enforcement," the corporation said.

One local resident, Virginia Bradford, said the Dollar General where the shooting occurred is a location she frequents. She knows everyone in the store, she said, and had almost paid them a visit to run an errand Saturday — but now, she won't be going back. The racist motivations behind the slayings shocked her.

"I won't even send my kids up there anymore," she said. "My nerves are bad."

"This is a dark day in Jacksonville’s history," Waters said. "Any loss of life is tragic, but the hate that motivated the shooter’s killing spree adds an additional layer of heartbreak."

"Our Jacksonville community collectively cries tonight."

Jeremiah Hassel