Evil gunman behind racist mass shooting in store is 21 and 'hated black people'

27 August 2023 , 10:30

1061     0

Ryan Palmeter, 21, has been identified locally as the gunman behind the racist massacre

The gunman behind the racist mass shooting in a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, has been identified.

Ryan Palmeter, a 21-year-old Oakleaf resident, fatally shot three Black people using a gun painted with a swastika. He had also penned a racist manifesto, police have said.

Officers in Jacksonville, Florida, shared pictures of the bloodstained AR-15 assault rifle and handgun used in the white supremacist spree. The attack that left two men and one woman dead was definitely “racially motivated” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters told a news conference.

The victims, all of whom are black, 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.

“He hated Black people,” Waters said after reviewing the man’s writings, which were sent to federal law enforcement officials and at least one media outlet shortly before the attack. He added that the gunman acted alone and “there is absolutely no evidence the shooter is part of any larger group.”

Man in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probe

Police released this picture of Palmeter as they officially named him (@JSOPIO/Twitter)

Waters said Palmeter used a Glock handgun and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle with at least one of them painted with a swastika. He was wearing a bullet-resistant vest. He said the shooter had once been involved in a 2016 domestic violence incident and was once involuntarily committed to a mental hospital for examination. He did not provide further details on those incidents.

Speaking at a press conference, Waters called the shooter's 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.)

Police at the scene of the shooting (AP)

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

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.

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.

The guns used by the killer (AFP via Getty Images)

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.

Residents gather for a prayer near the scene of the mass shooting (AP)

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.

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.

Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters speaking during a news conference about the gunman in Jacksonville, Florida (AFP via Getty Images)

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.

Russian model killed after calling Putin a 'psychopath' was strangled by her ex

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.

Charlie Jones