Which color would you associate with humanity? Will the entire human race ever find a unified color, or will there be more discrimination, deaths, and injustice based on someone’s race?
These questions remain buried under systemic racism, as Saturday proved that we live in dark times where a life is valued based on someone else’s perception.
A 21-year-old gunman opened fire in a dollar store in Jacksonville, which is now deduced to be a racially-motivated mass shooting targeting only black people. Three people were killed, including two shoppers and one employee. Right before the police arrived, the gunman pulled the trigger one last time on himself.
History of Violent Shootings in Jacksonville
The shooter had preserved a sickening manifesto at his home, describing his hate for a particular race in disturbingly graphic details. But his writings further revealed that the seeds of his repulsive ideologies were sown throughout Jacksonville’s history.
Mayor Donna Deegan said in a press conference that the gunman was inspired by a previous shooting on the same day five years ago. In 2018, a shooter killed three people at a gaming tournament and then killed himself.
This racially charged shooting also occurred a day before the 63rd anniversary of the “Ax Handle Saturday” – a dark chapter in American history during the civil rights movement when the Ku Klux Klan members physically assaulted a group of Black protestors during their peaceful sit-in protest of Jim Crow laws.
Yesterday’s case also reminds us of an unnerving pattern: a similar mass shooting in a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, last year. An 18-year-old racist shooter who killed 10 Black people was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He still faces federal charges that could carry the death penalty.
And here we are today, where America seems to be in a whirlpool of never-ending deja vu.
What Happened in Jacksonville Yesterday?
August 26, 1:08 p.m.: On a chill weekend, the Dollar store was brimming with customers. The peaceful vibe was perturbed by sudden loud noises— one that has become quite familiar in America.
A young man carrying a rifle and wearing a shirt on a tactical vest with a mask and gloves began shooting. He shot a car 11 times, parked right outside the store. Ms. Angela Michelle Carr, 52, who just dropped off a client, was killed in this brutal shooting.
After his first kill, the terrorist entered the store. Within a few sudden steps, he turned right and shot Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr., a 19-year-old store employee. He then wreaked terror by chasing some customers (mostly white folks) out.
The 29-year-old Jarrald De’Shaun Gallion had just entered through the front door with his girlfriend and was oblivious to the situation. The gunman then returned and killed Mr. Gallion. He also chased and shot at a woman, but she fortunately was not injured. The gruesome killings went on for 11 minutes.
1:19 p.m.: Cops were alerted by the survivors and other witnesses. And right before they arrived at the scene, they heard a single gunshot. It was a self-inflicted shot by the gunman, killing himself.
Who Is The Gunman In Jacksonville Shooting?
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters led the investigation on the inhumane incident, which is not categorized as a “mass shooting” since the death toll is 3. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the number of killings should be more than 4 to be deemed a mass shooting. The killer was identified as a 21-year-old Ryan Christopher Palmeter. Waters inferred through a series of evidence that Palemeter was a “maniac” who came with the intention to kill Black people.
- Per his digital footprint, Ryan seemed to have attended Oakleaf High School. In November 2019, he posted his Flagler College acceptance letter. Flagler College Director of External and Government Relations Beth Sweeny told ABC News– “He previously attended Flagler College between Fall 2020 through Spring 2021, when he withdrew from the College.”
- The shooter lived in Clay County with his parents. He was first spotted by a security guard in a parking lot behind the library of Edward Waters University, which is a predominantly Black Christian institution. Officers were unable to detect the exact motive why he was present there. In an unrelated search, they found a TikTok video showing the gunman wearing his vest in the parking lot. He shortly drove away in his Gray Honda Element.
- A swastika was drawn on his AR-15-style rifle, which he legally bought along with a Glock handgun, in April and June.
- Waters stated that Palemter had no prior criminal records but was temporarily detained under the “Had a Baker Act” in 2017. According to Florida’s law, a person can be put in detention with emergency services for up to 72 hours for a mental health examination. Palemeter was also involved in a 2016 domestic call, which did not result in an arrest.
- Police records also show that Ryan’s older brother is still serving his sentence for an armed robbery in 2017.
“Diary of a Madman” And A Killer’s Last Will
Before his last kill, Palmeter texted his father to open his room with a screwdriver. His father found his last will, testament, and a suicide note as part of more than 20 pages of racist excerpts on his laptop. It also included three manifestos addressed to federal agents, his parents, and the media.
He detailed his hatred towards black people in the “Diary of A Madman,” thus implying that these shootings were racially motivated, as stated by Sheriff Waters. Waters said–
“This was, quite frankly, a maniac who decided he wanted to take lives.”
“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.”
People in Authority and Politics Weigh in On The Unfortunate Incident
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was booed during a vigil held for the victims. DeSantis had previously sanctioned a committee to change Florida’s academic curriculum, which entailed that “Slavery was for personal benefits.”
State Sen. Tracie Davis on Jacksonville shooting: “Those three people were gunned down because they were Black. We are in 2023, and we are dealing with racial issues like this. It’s devastating… simply knowing that you are targeted because of the color of your skin.”
Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) tweeted a pro-gun statement just a few hours after the Jacksonville shooting.
What is your opinion on such an inhumane act? Do you think it’s high time that the gun laws should be evolved?
Do you believe that these killings were purely based on racism, or should it be blamed on the individual’s mental instability? What are your opinions on systemic racism?
Let us know in the comments section below.
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