Three individuals are dead after what Jacksonville Sheriff T.Okay. Waters mentioned used to be a “racially-motivated” shooting at a Dollar General that triggered heavy police and SWAT reaction in Northwest Jacksonville, in step with (*3*).
Waters showed that the person who killed a lot of other folks in a mass shooting with an AR-15, which had swastikas drawn on it and a Glock used to be observed on Edward Waters University’s campus moments earlier than gunfire erupted.
The shooter, who has no longer been known, lives in Clay County along with his oldsters, Waters mentioned. He used to be serious about a home name and not using a arrests in 2016 and used to be additionally confined throughout the Baker Act in 2017, in step with the sheriff.
According to Waters, two Black males and a Black girl had been killed. No one else used to be injured, the sheriff mentioned.
Just after 11:30 a.m., Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook informed the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office that the shooter left the Clay County house and used to be headed to Jacksonville.
By 1:18 p.m., the shooter despatched a textual content to his father, telling him to test his laptop, Waters mentioned. That’s when the shooter’s oldsters known as the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and informed deputies they discovered a manifesto of their Oakleaf house.
Waters mentioned 3 manifestos had been written that expressed a “disputing ideology of hate.” They had been written, in step with the sheriff, to the media, his oldsters and federal brokers.
“To plainly put, this shooting was racially motivated and he hated Black people,” Waters mentioned. “This is a dark day in Jacksonville. Any loss of life is tragic, but the hate that motivated the shooter’s killing spree adds an additional layer of heartbreak.”
Waters additionally showed that the shooter used to be noticed placing on a masks and ballistics vest at EWU earlier than heading to Dollar General. Campus safety tried to catch the shooter however he were given away.
EWU officers despatched out an alert to students about the situation as they had been informed to stay of their place of dwelling halls till the scene used to be cleared.
The sheriff mentioned the shooter’s intentions had been to focus on a “certain group of people.”
“I don’t know that the targets were specific, but I know that any member of that race, at that time, was in danger,” Waters mentioned.
Deegan additionally addressed the media at the convention announcing, “We must do everything we can to dissuade this type of hate.”
Waters mentioned there’s no proof that the shooter is related to any hate teams.
“This is unacceptable,” Deegan mentioned when she spoke to News4JAX at the scene. “One shooting is too much but these mass shootings are really hard to take.”
Deegan used to be speaking with officers and District 13 State Representative Angie Nixon, who represents the community as she discovered what took place.
A witness, who used to be moments from strolling into the shop, mentioned the one factor that saved him from coming into the Dollar General used to be when he discovered he didn’t have any cash on him, so he went to some other retailer within sight.
Moments later, in step with the witness, he heard gunshots ring out. He mentioned the shooter used to be firing at vehicles earlier than he went within the retailer.
The witness mentioned he became round and noticed a lady operating and some other guy fall again.
Nixon often known as the location “tragic” and mentioned they had been looking to calm the citizens down and be offering enhance.
“These are things that we want to try to avoid by making sure that our communities are fully resourced, making sure we’re creating a climate of love and not tension,” Nixon expressed.
City leaders had been observed collecting on the street for a prayer circle over the tragedy.
Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman mentioned her middle is heavy.
“I’m tired of seeing all the shootings,” Pittman mentioned via tears. “The people in this community are hurting.”
A spokesperson for Dollar General despatched the next observation:
“We are heartbroken by the senseless act of violence that occurred at our Kings Road store in Jacksonville, Florida today. At this time, supporting our Jacksonville employees and the DG family impacted by this tragedy is a top priority as we work closely with law enforcement.”
Numerous Jacksonville Fire and Rescue had been additionally responding to the scene.
Just earlier than 4:15 p.m., some JSO officials and JFRD crews had been observed leaving the world.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also are investigating.
This shooting comes 5 years to the day when a shooter killed 2 people and injured 11 others before turning the gun on himself at a gaming tournament at a Chicago Pizza within the former Jacksonville Landing.
Deegan mentioned that the shooter stated the Landing shooting in his manifesto.
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