3 killed in Jacksonville Dollar General shooting, crime was 'racially motivated,' sheriff says

A masked man shot and killed three individuals inside a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday. The attacker left behind racist writings before taking his own life, according to the Associated Press.

The shooter, in his twenties, utilized a Glock handgun and an AR-15. At least one of the firearms was decorated with a swastika, reports indicate. He was also observed wearing a bullet-resistant vest.

Names of both the victims and the assailant were not immediately disclosed by officials.

The sheriff revealed that the gunman left behind written material that indicated his motives for the shooting. 

The incident occurred shortly before 2 p.m. at a Dollar General store located about three-quarters of a mile away from Edward Waters University, a historically Black institution. The sheriff mentioned that the suspect had been seen on the university campus just before the shooting, donning his vest and mask.

“I can’t tell you what his mindset was while he was there, but he did go there,” stated the sheriff.

Edward Waters University students remained confined to their dormitories, as stated by the institution. The university clarified that neither students nor faculty were believed to be involved in the incident.

The shooter had driven to Jacksonville from Clay County, a neighboring area. Just before the attack, the shooter sent a text message to his father, urging him to check the contents of his computer. The father discovered the writings and promptly informed 911. Regrettably, the shooting had already commenced by that point, the sheriff reported.

Sheriff Waters remarked, "This is a dark day in Jacksonville’s history. There is no place for hate in this community. I am sickened by this cowardly shooter’s personal ideology." 

Mayor Donna Deegan conveyed her sorrow and called the incident "hate-filled."

Governor Ron DeSantis, after talking with the sheriff, condemned the shooter's racist motivations and labeled him a "scumbag."

DeSantis, who was in Iowa campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, stated, "This guy killed himself rather than face the music and accept responsibility for his actions. He took the coward’s way out."

The FBI is now involved and is investigating the incident as a hate crime.