A white man motivated by racial animosity fatally shot three Black individuals in a Florida discount store on Saturday, followed by his own suicide after a confrontation with law enforcement, authorities confirmed.
Sheriff TK Waters of Jacksonville stated in a press conference that the assailant, a young man in his early 20s, specifically targeted Black people. “He targeted a certain group of people and that’s Black people. That’s what he said he wanted to kill. And that’s very clear,” Waters asserted.
The shooter, whose identity remains undisclosed, entered a Dollar General store wearing a tactical vest and carrying both an AR-style rifle and a handgun, according to the sheriff’s office. Manifestos discovered by the assailant’s family prior to the attack contained “the shooter’s disgusting ideology of hate,” as per Waters. At least one of the firearms bore hand-drawn swastikas.
The incident unfolded near Edward Waters University, a historically Black college situated in the southern state. The university clarified that the shooter had been present on campus earlier that day but caused no harm.
An on-campus security officer at Edward Waters University engaged with the individual, later identified as the shooter, close to the Centennial Library. The shooter left the premises without incident.
The FBI will initiate a hate crime investigation, stated Sherri Onks, the special agent for Jacksonville.
Officials confirmed that the shooter acted alone, and there is no evidence of a larger group involvement.
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida condemned the “horrific” shooting and described the gunman as a “scumbag.” DeSantis emphasized that the shooter targeted individuals based on their race, labeling such motives as unacceptable.
The incident marked one of several gun-related violence cases over the weekend in the United States. Additionally, a shooting at a Caribbean festival in Boston led to the hospitalization of at least seven individuals on the same day.
