Racially Motivated Shooting In Jacksonville Claims Three Lives
Racially motivated shooting in Jacksonville claims three lives on Saturday. According to officials, a Caucasian man, carrying a high-powered rifle and a handgun, killed three individuals of African descent at a Dollar General store before killing himself. Local law enforcement officials have characterized this incident as a crime driven by racial motivations.
"This shooting was racially motivated, and he hated Black people," Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters told a press conference.
The individual, described by Waters as a white man donning a tactical vest, remains unidentified. Waters clarified that all three of the victims, comprising two men and one woman, were of Black ethnicity.
Waters conveyed that law enforcement believed the shooter to have acted as a lone individual. Prior to the tragic incident, the assailant had written multiple manifestos expressing his intense animosity towards Black individuals, addressing them to the media, his parents, and law enforcement.
In terms of weaponry, Waters mentioned that the shooter possessed a Glock handgun and an "AR-15 style" rifle. The rifle featured swastika symbols, indicating a connection to the lightweight semi-automatic long gun frequently associated with mass shootings.
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"The hate that motivated the shooter's killing spree adds an additional layer of heartbreak," Waters said.
According to Waters, the shooter was observed at Edward Waters University, a historically Black college in the vicinity. There, he proceeded to don his tactical vest and a mask before making his way to the nearby branch of Dollar General. This discount chain boasts stores scattered throughout the United States.
Sherri Onks, the special agent overseeing the Jacksonville FBI office, announced that federal authorities had initiated a civil rights inquiry and intended to approach 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.- Sherri Onks
The U.S. President, Joe Biden, along with Attorney General Merrick Garland, received a briefing regarding the incident.
The frequency of mass shootings in the United States has unfortunately become a norm, with the Gun Violence Archive reporting over 469 incidents in 2023 alone. The Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit organization, defines a mass shooting as an event in which four or more individuals are either wounded or killed, excluding the perpetrator.
The occurrence on Saturday in Jacksonville shares resemblances with a shooting from the previous year in Buffalo, where a white supremacist claimed the lives of 10 Black individuals. This incident also marks the fifth anniversary of a shooter opening fire during a video game tournament in Jacksonville, resulting in the deaths of two individuals before the shooter took his own life.
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida strongly denounced the shooting, describing the perpetrator's action as "the cowardly 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.- Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida
Shooter Previously Assessed For Mental Health Crisis
The shooter had been involved in a 2017 law enforcement incident governed by the Baker Act, which allows for involuntary detention and assessment during mental health crises for up to 72 hours. Specifics regarding the Baker Act call were not provided by Waters. Typically, individuals under Baker Act detention are disqualified from purchasing firearms.
Authorities indicated that there seemed to be no acquaintance between the shooter and the victims. The shooter's writings suggested awareness of a past mass shooting during a Jacksonville gaming event, resulting in two deaths, exactly five years before his own attack.
This may have influenced his choice of the attack date, coinciding with that anniversary. The sheriff expressed an intention to eventually release these writings to the public, emphasizing his commitment to transparency.
Florida State Senator Tracie Davis, representing Jacksonville in her district, labeled the shooting a "day of tragedy" for the city in a post on X, the platform formerly recognized as Twitter.
"I’m offering prayers to the families of the victims and am on my way to meet with (Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters) for answers," Davis posted Saturday. "This type of violence is unacceptable in our communities," Davis added.
About The Authors
Hilda Workman - Hilda Workman is a licensed financial advisor with years of expertise in the industry. She has assisted a range of clients, from sole proprietors to large corporations, in reaching their financial objectives. She is informed about many different financial subjects, including tax preparation, investment planning and also in fashion. She believes that the best things are those that are imperfect.