The three people killed in a racist shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, have now been identified by police.
Authorities said 52-year-old Angela Carr, 19-year-old Anolt Joseph "AJ" Laguerre Jr., and 29-year-old Jarrald De'Shaun Gallion lost their lives Saturday when a gunman opened fire inside a Dollar General.
Police said Carr was dropping off a friend when she was killed inside her vehicle. Laguerre Jr. was working at the store and Gallion was walking in when they were both gunned down.
The attack occurred about half a mile from Edward Waters University, a historically Black college with about 1,000 students enrolled. School officials said the gunman was spotted on campus prior to the attack and was asked by security to leave after refusing to identify himself. He was reportedly seen putting on tactical gear before driving off.
Shortly after, surveillance footage from the Dollar General showed him entering the store in a mask, wielding a Glock handgun and an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle. Photos released by police showed a swastika had been painted on one of those weapons.
Authorities said the suspect had also obtained those weapons legally, despite once being committed involuntarily for a mental health exam.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said the suspect's motive was made clear by writings left behind that described his hatred toward Black people. He also reportedly left a suicide note before taking his own life.
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Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan spoke Monday morning, saying it's not time to discuss the politics surrounding the attack.
"I've heard some people say that some of the rhetoric that we hear doesn't really represent what's in people's hearts, it's just the game. It's just the political game" Deegan said. "Those three people who lost their lives, that's not a game. That's the reality of what we're dealing with. Please let us stop viewing each other as pieces on a game board, and let us please start to see each other's humanity."
Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was booed and heckled by attendees as he prepared to speak at a vigil for the victims. The Republican governor and 2024 presidential candidate is known for his pro-second amendment policies but didn't mention anything about guns.
"This guy killed himself rather than face the music and accept responsibility for his actions," DeSantis told the crowd. "He took the coward's way out."
DeSantis added that the state will be sending financial support to Edward Waters University, near where the shooting occurred. The school says it was put on lockdown for several hours, but no students or staff were involved in the attack.
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