2023 Jacksonville shooting

Last updated

2023 Jacksonville shooting
Ryan Christopher Palmeter Video Surveillance Shooting.png
Surveillance camera screenshot showing Palmeter at the Dollar General entrance
2023 Jacksonville shooting
Location2161 Kings Road, Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Coordinates 30°20′57″N81°41′46″W / 30.34917°N 81.69611°W / 30.34917; -81.69611
DateAugust 26, 2023;5 months ago (2023-08-26)
1:08 – 1:19 p.m. [1] (EDT; UTC−04:00)
Target African Americans
Attack type
 Triple-murder, murder suicide, mass shooting, domestic terrorism, hate crime
Weapons
Deaths4 (including the perpetrator)
PerpetratorRyan Christopher Palmeter
Motive

On August 26, 2023, three people were fatally shot by a gunman in a mass shooting that took place at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida. Authorities identified Ryan Christopher Palmeter as the gunman, [3] [4] described as a 21-year-old White male. [5] [6] Palmeter shot and killed himself after he barricaded himself in an office. [2] [7] [8] The incident has been described as a terrorist attack, [9] [10] was racially motivated, [8] and is currently under investigation as a hate crime. [11] [12]

Contents

Shooting

According to police, by 11:39 a.m., Palmeter left his home in Clay County, Florida. [4] [13] [6] At 12:48 p.m., he arrived at Edward Waters University and released a TikTok video of him putting on a tactical vest. [14] At 12:55 p.m., campus security arrived at his location and asked for identification. Palmeter failed to identify himself and left the parking lot at 12:57 p.m.; he was shadowed by a campus security officer who was leaving at 12:58 p.m. [13] [14] Before 1:08 p.m., the campus officer flagged down a police officer who then started processing a BOLO alert. [15] [14]

At 1:08 p.m., an eleven-round count ShotSpotter 911 alert went off, caused by Palmeter shooting 11 rounds into the front windshield of a car outside the Dollar General store, killing the driver. [16] [17] [14] He then entered the store and killed another victim. [14] Security footage showed Palmeter wearing a tactical vest, a face covering, blue rubber gloves, and ear protection during the shooting. [13] [17] Multiple people fled through the store's rear exit, with Palmeter exiting the same door shortly after. [14] At 1:09 p.m., a one-round ShotSpotter alert went off, followed by Palmeter reentering the store through the rear door and attempting to shoot a security camera but missing. At that time, the first 911 voice call was received. At 1:10 p.m., two more customers entered the store through the front door. At 1:13 p.m., Palmeter killed one of them, then chased the other person around the store, shooting at her but missing. The victim being chased was able to exit through the rear door, with Palmeter following after her, shooting out the same door, and then reentering the building. [14]

At 1:14 p.m., Palmeter entered an office; four minutes later, he sent a text message to his father, instructing him to use a screwdriver to enter his room. There, his father found a last will and testament and a suicide note on Palmeter's laptop. [14] At 1:19 p.m., 11 minutes after the first shots were fired, police officers entered the building and heard a single shot, suspected to be Palmeter killing himself. [14] His parents contacted the police at 1:53 p.m. [4] At 3:44 p.m., SWAT confirmed Palmeter was dead. [14] At least three manifestos were found on his body, including those addressed to his parents, the news media, and federal agents. [8] [6] [18] [7] All three victims were Black, consistent with an intent to kill Black people as Palmeter stated in the manifestos. [2]

Victims

Three people, all of whom were Black, were fatally shot. [19] [7] The victims were identified as Angela Michelle Carr, 52; Jerrald Gallion, 29; and Anolt Joseph Laguerre Jr., 19. [20] Laguerre was an employee at the store. [21]

Perpetrator

The shooter, Ryan Christopher Palmeter (November 28, 2001 – August 26, 2023), [3] [4] was a 21-year-old white male from Orange Park, Florida, who lived in the Oakleaf Plantation area of Jacksonville before he killed himself during the shooting. [5] [6] Palmeter was a former student at both Oakleaf High School and Flagler College. [4] In 2016, he was the subject of a domestic police call between him and his brother. [4] [14] In 2017, he was the subject of a Baker Act call, used to place persons under involuntary detainment for mental health examination for up to 72 hours. [6]

Jacksonville police showed images of Palmeter's AR-15–style rifle bearing a swastika and racial slurs drawn in white sharpie, along with a Glock pistol without markings. [11] [15] He acquired the pistol in April 2023 and the rifle in June 2023. Both weapons were obtained legally through FFL-transfer, which require background checks, and the police said Palmeter was legally allowed to possess them. [14] Palmeter's vest had a Rhodesian Army patch on it, a symbol which had previously been used by other white supremacists, including Dylann Roof, the perpetrator of the Charleston church shooting. [22]

Reactions

In response to the shooting, President Joe Biden said that "white supremacy has no place in America." He also noted that the shooting had taken place on the same day as the commemoration for the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, a famous civil rights rally. [23]

Governor Ron DeSantis issued a statement in which he referred to Palmeter as a "scumbag" and a "coward" for killing himself instead of facing responsibility for his actions. [5] On August 27, DeSantis visited Jacksonville to attend a vigil for the victims. When he attempted to address the crowd, he was heckled, forcing him to step away from the microphone. It prompted Jacksonville councilwoman Ju'Coby Pittman to step in and ask the mourners to settle down, saying, "We are going to put parties aside because it ain't about parties today," before adding "A bullet don't know a party." [24]

Florida state representative Angie Nixon criticized DeSantis and called the shooting "a stark reminder of the dangerous consequences of unchecked racism." [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Edward Pough</span> American spree killer

James Edward "Pop" Pough was an American spree killer who killed thirteen people in two separate attacks in Jacksonville, Florida on 17 and 18 June 1990. Pough shot and killed two people at random on Jacksonville’s Northside, wounded two teenagers, and robbed a convenience store. Pough shot and killed nine people and wounded four others at a General Motors Acceptance Corporation car loan office the next day before committing suicide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Munich shooting</span> Mass shooting in Munich, Germany

On 22 July 2016, a mass shooting occurred in the vicinity of the Olympia shopping mall in the Moosach district of Munich, Germany. An 18-year-old Iranian-German, David Sonboly, opened fire on fellow teenagers at a McDonald's restaurant before shooting at bystanders in the street outside and then in the mall itself. Nine people were killed, and 36 others were injured, four of them by gunfire. Sonboly then hid nearby for more than two hours, and killed himself by a self-inflicted gunshot wound when confronted by police.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parkland high school shooting</span> 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, US

On February 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the Miami suburban town of Parkland, Florida, United States, killing 17 people and injuring 17 others. Cruz, a former student at the school, fled the scene on foot by blending in with other students and was arrested without incident approximately one hour and twenty minutes later in nearby Coral Springs. Police and prosecutors investigated "a pattern of disciplinary issues and unnerving behavior".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Markeis McGlockton</span> 2018 manslaughter in Clearwater, Florida

On July 19, 2018, Markeis McGlockton, 28, was fatally shot by Michael Drejka at a parking lot outside a local convenience store in Clearwater, Florida, United States. Shortly before the shooting, Drejka pulled in a spot not meant for parking and approached McGlockton's car to confront McGlockton's girlfriend for parking in a disabled parking space without a placard. McGlockton came out of the store to find Drejka screaming at his woman and warned Drejka to back away from his vehicle. When that attempt was unsuccessful he then shoved Drejka to the ground. Drejka immediately drew his handgun and McGlockton began to back away. Five seconds after Drejka hit the ground, he shot McGlockton once. McGlockton later died from his injuries at a local hospital. He was unarmed at the time he was shot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacksonville Landing shooting</span> 2018 mass shooting in Jacksonville, Florida

The Jacksonville Landing shooting, also known as the Jacksonville shooting, was a mass shooting that occurred at a video game tournament for the video game Madden NFL 19 in Jacksonville Landing, Jacksonville, Florida, on August 26, 2018, at about 1:30 pm (EDT). A lone gunman, David Katz, shot and killed two people and injured another ten before killing himself.

On November 2, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at Tallahassee Hot Yoga, a yoga studio located in Tallahassee, Florida. The gunman, identified as Scott Paul Beierle, shot six women, two of them fatally, and pistol-whipped a man before killing himself.

On January 23, 2019, at around 12:30 pm, five women – four employees and a customer – were shot and killed at the SunTrust Bank in Sebring, Florida. After being named a suspect, 21-year-old Zephen Xaver turned himself in to police. He initially pleaded not guilty to five murders. On March 14, 2023, he pleaded guilty in the shooting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch mosque shootings</span> 2019 terrorist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand

The Christchurch mosque shootings were two consecutive mass shootings on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand on 15 March 2019. They were committed by Brenton Tarrant who entered both mosques during Friday prayer, firstly at the Al Noor Mosque at 1:40 p.m. and later at the Linwood Islamic Centre at 1:52 p.m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting</span> Mass shooting at Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida

On the morning of December 6, 2019, a terrorist attack occurred at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida. The assailant killed three men and injured eight others. The shooter was killed by Escambia County sheriff deputies after they arrived at the scene. He was identified as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, an Air Force aviation student from Saudi Arabia.

In late May and early June 2020, two ambush-style attacks occurred against security personnel and law enforcement officers in California. The attacks left two dead and injured three others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Atlanta spa shootings</span> Shooting spree in metro Atlanta, Georgia

On March 16, 2021, a shooting spree occurred at two spas and a massage parlor in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Eight people were killed and a ninth was wounded. A suspect, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, was taken into custody later that day. Long pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Boulder shooting</span> Mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado

On March 22, 2021, a mass shooting occurred at a King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Ten people were killed, including a local on-duty police officer. The alleged shooter, 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Al-Issa, was arrested after being shot in the right leg. He was temporarily hospitalized before being moved to the county jail. After undergoing mental evaluations during the legal proceedings, Al-Issa was found mentally incompetent to stand trial in December 2021 and in April 2022. On August 23, 2023, prosecutors announced that Al-Issa was mentally competent to stand trial; a judge ruled as such on October 6 of that same year.

On 25 August 2021, a gunman opened fire at two locations in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He initially killed two police officers at an intersection and stole the officers' rifles. He walked several hundred metres to the French embassy, where he killed another officer and a security guard. The gunman also injured six other people, before being shot dead by police. The attack occurred during the day on Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road, one of Dar es Salaam's main avenues in the diplomatic quarter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Asay</span> Executed American spree killer (1964–2017)

Mark James Asay was an American spree killer who was executed by the state of Florida for the 1987 racially motivated murders of two men in Jacksonville, Florida. He was convicted, sentenced to death, and subsequently executed in 2017 at Florida State Prison by lethal injection. Asay's execution generated attention as it was noted by multiple news agencies that he was the first white person to be executed in Florida for killing a black person. He was also the first person to be executed in the United States using the drug etomidate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Buffalo shooting</span> Mass shooting in Buffalo, New York

On May 14, 2022, a mass shooting occurred in Buffalo, New York, United States, at a Tops Friendly Markets supermarket in the East Side neighborhood. Ten people, all of whom were African Americans, were murdered and three were injured. The shooter, identified as 18-year-old Payton S. Gendron, livestreamed part of the attack on Twitch, but the livestream was shut down by the service in under two minutes. Gendron was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder. He formally entered a plea of "not guilty" on May 19, 2022. On November 28, 2022, Gendron pleaded guilty to all state charges in the shooting, including murder, domestic terrorism, and hate crimes. On February 15, 2023, Gendron was sentenced to 11 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole; as of that date, federal charges are still ongoing, and the federal prosecution also expressed their intention to seek the death penalty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harbor City serial shootings</span>

The Harbor City serial shootings were an unsolved series of drive-by shootings committed in the Harbor City neighborhood of Los Angeles, California during the early months of 1993. A total of four black men were shot within a two-block radius, three of them fatally. Despite a detailed description of the perpetrator and his car given by the surviving victim and witnesses to the murders, he remains unidentified to date.

On November 22, 2022, Andre Marcus Bing killed six co-workers and injured four others before killing himself, in retaliation for perceived workplace harassment at the Walmart Supercenter where he worked as a night-supervisor in Chesapeake, Virginia, United States. Bing's suicide note cited concern he was being "led by Satan" and asking forgiveness - while also mentioning cancer treatments and loneliness.

References

  1. ↑ "Jacksonville gunman in racist attack legally bought two weapons earlier this year, sheriff says". CNN. August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "3 killed in racially-motivated shooting at Dollar General store in Jacksonville, sheriff says". CBS News. August 26, 2023. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "#JSO Sheriff TK Waters holds follow-up briefing to identify the three victims who senselessly lost their lives yesterday during this tragic event. The suspect has been identified as 21yo Ryan Palmeter". Twitter. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Young, Jin Yu; Bubola, Emma (August 27, 2023). "What to Know About the Jacksonville Shooting". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Daugherty, Eric (August 26, 2023). "DeSantis denounces 'coward' Jacksonville shooter who allegedly targeted Black people". Florida’s Voice. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Rose, Nouran Salahieh,Andy (August 27, 2023). "Jacksonville gunman was turned away from historically Black university before killing 3 in racist shooting at nearby store, authorities say". CNN. Retrieved August 27, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. 1 2 3 "Mayor: 'number of fatalities' in Jacksonville, Florida, shooting - media". Reuters. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 "Sources: 3 dead, plus shooter in racially motivated mass shooting at Kings Rd. Dollar General". Action News Jax. August 26, 2023. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Jacksonville shooting is the latest incident of fatal violence driven by white supremacy". NBC News. August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  10. ↑ Osborne, Deon (August 27, 2023). "Jacksonville White domestic terrorist attack part of anti-Black campaign". The Black Wall Street Times . Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Jacksonville shooting: Gunman wanted to kill Black people, sheriff says". NBC News. August 26, 2023. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Jacksonville shooting: Several dead at Dollar General store in Florida". BBC News.
  13. 1 2 3 "Sources: 3 dead, plus shooter in Kings Rd. Dollar General shooting". Action News Jax. August 26, 2023. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Jacksonville Dollar General mass shooting video released with names of victims, suspect (Full press conference)", First Coast News (via YouTube), August 27, 2023, retrieved August 27, 2023
  15. 1 2 Hatcher, Kendra Mazeke, Aleesia (August 26, 2023). "3 people dead after 'racially-motivated' shooting at store on Kings Road: Sheriff". WJXT. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ Hatcher, Kendra Mazeke, Aleesia (August 26, 2023). "Mayor says there are a 'number of fatalities' in response to shooting at store on Kings Road". WJXT. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. 1 2 Video released of mass shooting in Jacksonville store , retrieved August 27, 2023
  18. ↑ Margolin, Josh; Hutchinson, Bill (August 27, 2023). "Suspect in alleged racially motivated killing at Jacksonville Dollar General store to be identified: Sheriff". ABC News . Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  19. ↑ Williams, Andy Rose,Ashley R. (August 26, 2023). "3 people dead in 'racially motivated' shooting at Dollar General in Jacksonville, Florida, officials say". CNN. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ↑ Rose, Eric Levenson,Sara Smart,Nouran Salahieh,Andy (August 27, 2023). "Jacksonville gunman in racially motivated attack legally bought two weapons earlier this year, sheriff says". CNN. Retrieved August 28, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ↑ Martinez, Gina (August 28, 2023). "Dollar General shooting victims identified after racially-motivated attack in Jacksonville - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Racist Jacksonville shooter wore Rhodesian army patch, a symbol of white supremacy, law enforcement sources say". NBC News . August 29, 2023.
  23. ↑ Yang, Maya (August 27, 2023). "Florida shooting: 'White supremacy has no place in US,' Biden says after killings". The Guardian . Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  24. ↑ Sarkar, Alisha Rahaman (August 28, 2023). "Ron DeSantis is booed by mourners as he attends Jacksonville vigil after racist shooting". The Independent . Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  25. ↑ Nehamas, Nicholas (August 28, 2023). "With Jacksonville and Idalia, DeSantis Faces Two Crises in Florida". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 29, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.