August 27th 2023.
The Jacksonville, Florida, Black community is in mourning after a hate crime occurred in the city on August 27th. Three people were killed by a white gunman at a Dollar General store located in a predominantly Black area. The suspect's motivations were made clear when the gun used in the shooting was painted with a swastika. Furthermore, it was discovered that the gunman had posted racist messages on social media sites.
The shooter, who was in his 20s, used a Glock handgun and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle to carry out the attack. Nearby Edward Waters University, an HBCU, was in the vicinity of the store and a security officer reported seeing the gunman on the school grounds shortly before the shooting.
It is believed that the shooter was paying tribute to a prior Jacksonville shooting that occurred five years prior. On the same day of the shooting, the fifth anniversary of a shooter killing attendees of a video game tournament in the city was being remembered. The shooter of that 2018 incident also killed himself after the attack, according to the Associated Press.
Sheriff Mike Williams of Jacksonville called it a “dark day” for the city and its history, and Florida leaders condemned the hate crime as well. Governor Ron DeSantis, whose policies have been unpopular with many Black Floridians, expressed his revulsion at the shooter’s actions. “This guy killed himself rather than face the music and accept responsibility for his actions. He took the coward’s way out,” DeSantis said.
The Jacksonville tragedy has struck deep into the hearts of the community. The victims’ names have not yet been released, but the city stands together in solidarity against hate and violence.
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