A racially motivated attack took place in Jacksonville, Florida, resulting in the deaths of three black individuals. The assailant, described as a white man in his early 20s, entered a Dollar General store and opened fire, leading to a standoff with the police. The gunman, wearing body armor and leaving behind manifestos, took the lives of two men and one woman. Jacksonville's sheriff, Sheriff T K Waters, confirmed that the crime was driven by deep-seated racist hatred. The shooter, who has not been officially identified, was armed with a lightweight semi-automatic rifle and a handgun. It is believed that he acted alone and had intentions of ending his own life. He lived with his parents in Jacksonville's Clay County and had left messages detailing his intentions, including communications to his parents and the media.

The 3 Black people killed by an avowed white supremacist/hater of Black people:

Anolt "AJ" Laguerre Jr., 19

Jerrald De'Shaun Gallon, 29

Angela Michelle Carr, 52

Our children need to be truthfully and lovingly educated so that they, too, won’t be indoctrinated.#Jacksonville

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) August 27, 2023

Disturbingly, one of the firearms he carried had a swastika symbol on it. In response to the nature of the crime, the FBI has launched a civil rights investigation, classifying it as a hate crime. The incident took place less than a mile away from Edwards Waters University, a historically black institution, heightening its significance. Mayor Donna Deegan expressed the difficulty in comprehending mass shootings, emphasizing that even one shooting is already unacceptable. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis denounced the gunman as a scumbag and labeled the shooting as horrific. He strongly condemned the assailant for targeting individuals based on their race, deeming it entirely unacceptable.

Governor DeSantis, who is vying for the Republican party's presidential candidacy, emphasized that the perpetrator opted for a cowardly path by taking his own life to evade responsibility. President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting, according to the White House. Dollar General expressed deep sorrow over the senseless act of violence at their store and affirmed their commitment to supporting their affected employees and cooperating closely with law enforcement. This tragic incident coincided with the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I have a dream" speech.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the capital to commemorate this landmark event in the civil rights movement. The shooting's racially motivated nature has added an additional layer of heartbreak, according to Sheriff Waters. The FBI has initiated a civil rights investigation, emphasizing their commitment to addressing hate crimes, which are not just attacks on individual victims but also meant to intimidate entire communities.