A tragic incident unfolded in Florida USA when a white man shot dead 3 black people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville on Saturday, following which the gunman shot himself according to the citys mayor in an interview.Two men and one woman were shot dead in this incident, in what the local law enforcement described as a racially motivated crime. The Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters said the shooter hated black people in a press conference.“Plainly put, this shooting was racially motivated and he hated black people,” Sheriff TK Waters said.As news of the shooting filtered through the community, people formed prayer circles outside the scene, which was cordoned off by the police.Details of shooterThe suspect was described by Waters as a white male in his early 20s, however, his identity is yet to be confirmed. In this “racially motivated” attack, the gunman is said to be using an AR-15-style assault rifle and Glock handgun covered in Nazi swastikas, shortly before 2 pm local time, say police.As per media reports the shooter was said to be wearing a mask, tactical vest, and gloves. He also reportedly left several manifestos littered with racial epithets that showcased his hatred for the black community.The shooting took place in a predominantly black neighborhood near Edwards Waters University, a historically Black private Christian university in the city founded in 1866 by members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.Reaction of authorities Mayor Donna Deegan said that “there are a number of fatalities” inside the store but didnt give a precise number. “This is unacceptable. One shooting is too much but these mass shootings are really hard to take,” she said.She further mentioned the multiple hate crimes that the black community has faced over the years and says that its too much now. “Its a heartbreaking thing for our community. Its awful and it has happened in this community way too many times,” the Mayor said.Our hearts are breaking for our neighbors who were lost in a hate-filled tragedy today. We must heal our nation and our community to bring an end to racially motivated gun violence and mass shootings. Please pray for the victims, their families, and Jacksonville. https://t.co/YvAvjSb3za— Mayor Donna Deegan (@MayorDeegan) August 27, 2023The special agent in charge of the Jacksonville FBI office, Sherri Onks, also commented on the incident and said that the federal officials had opened a civil rights investigation and would pursue 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, theyre also meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community,” Onks said.A similar incident took place on the same day five years ago in Jacksonville, when a gunman opened fire during a video game tournament in Jacksonville, killing two people before fatally shooting himself.
