A fatal incident in Jacksonville, Florida, resulted in four deaths, including that of the perpetrator, in an event authorities are calling an act of racial violence.
The tragedy unfolded on Saturday afternoon at the intersection of Kings Road and Canal Street. An unidentified man walked into a Dollar General store around 1 p.m., armed with a rifle resembling an AR-type and a secondary firearm, said Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters. The individual was also wearing combat gear.
Sheriff Waters indicated that a SWAT unit was in the vicinity of the store, dealing with a tense situation as the armed assailant had barricaded himself inside. Three victims, all of whom were African American—two males and one female—lost their lives before the gunman ended his own life. "This was a clear act of racial hatred," emphasized Waters.
The assailant left behind "multiple written statements," including messages directed to his family, the press, and federal authorities, containing content that revealed his hateful mindset, according to Waters.
The individual had sent a text to his dad at 1:18 p.m. advising him to look at his computer. The father contacted Clay County Sheriff's Office at 1:53 p.m., but by then, the deadly event had already commenced in Jacksonville. Waters noted that the suspect was a resident of Clay County and had been involved in a domestic incident in 2016 that did not lead to an arrest. In 2017, he was subjected to Florida's Baker Act, which allows for emergency mental health services and brief detention for evaluation.
Symbols of hate were discovered on the firearms used, Waters added.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expressed his strong condemnation of the tragedy, saying, "This racially-charged act is utterly intolerable." He extended his support to Sheriff Waters and the Jacksonville community while offering condolences to the bereaved families.
President Biden has received a briefing on the incident, according to the White House.
Meanwhile, the public is still waiting on the Nashville shooter manifesto to be released by authorities.
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