Over the weekend, a racially motivated attack shook the nation as a gunman targeted Black individuals at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida. This tragic incident resulted in the loss of three lives. Sheriff T.K. Waters stated that the shooter, a 20-something white man, took his own life after the attack. Before the incident, he left behind three manifestos expressing his hateful ideology and motives. All three victims were African American.
The shooter resided in Clay County, Florida, south of Jacksonville, with his parents. He instructed his father to check his computer, where the manifestos were discovered. Unfortunately, by the time law enforcement was alerted about the documents, the attack had already begun at the Dollar General store.
The shooting occurred near Edward Waters University, a historically Black school, where students living on campus were advised to remain in their residence halls for safety. Fortunately, no one on the campus was injured. The shooter had been spotted on the school’s campus before heading to the store.
According to Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, the gunman holed himself up inside the store following the attack. It remains unclear whether the victims were shot inside or outside of the store. The sheriff’s investigation suggests that the shooter acted alone and was wearing a tactical vest and mask. He had both an AR-15 style rifle and a handgun, both of which displayed swastikas drawn with white paint.
The FBI’s Jacksonville office has initiated a federal civil rights investigation, treating this incident as a hate crime. While the suspect has not been officially identified, authorities have been in contact with his parents. Sheriff Waters mentioned that the shooter had been subject to a Baker Act call, which allows for the involuntary detention and examination of individuals during a mental health crisis. Normally, someone detained under the Baker Act would be ineligible to purchase firearms. However, further details regarding the specific circumstances of the previous Baker Act call were not provided.
The shooter seemed to be aware of a mass shooting that occurred at a gaming event in Jacksonville five years prior to his attack. The choice of the date may have been deliberate to coincide with that anniversary. The sheriff intends to release the shooter’s writings to the public at some point, prioritizing transparency.
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida condemned the shooting, labeling the gunman a “scumbag.” He expressed condolences to the victims and their families, emphasizing that targeting individuals based on race is completely unacceptable. State Senator Tracie Davis, representing the district that includes Jacksonville, also expressed sympathy for the victims and their families, calling for answers from Sheriff Waters. Davis denounced this type of violence, stating that it is unacceptable in their communities.
Unfortunately, this tragic incident is part of a larger pattern of gun violence in the United States. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 470 mass shootings in the country thus far in 2023. This includes incidents where four or more people are injured or killed, excluding the shooter. The number of mass shootings surpassed 400 in July, making it the earliest month in which such a high number has been recorded since 2013.
The Jacksonville shooting was one of several reported incidents over the weekend. In Boston, a shooting interrupted a popular parade, injuring at least seven people. In Choctaw, Oklahoma, a high school football game turned fatal after an argument led to three people being shot, resulting in the death of a 16-year-old boy. Additionally, four individuals, including a 17-year-old, were killed in an apartment in Joppatowne, Maryland. These incidents have halted normal summertime activities and serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing issue of gun violence in the United States.
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