Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters revealed the gunman's identity responsible for killing three Black people in a racially motivated attack at a Dollar General store on Saturday.
Waters also said that the shooter, 21-year-old Ryan Christopher Palmeter, had legally purchased the two guns he used in the fatal shooting earlier this year. He was found to have bought a handgun in April and then an AR-15-style rifle in June.
Jacksonville Shooting Suspect
Officials said that the suspect lived with his parents in nearby Orange Park and was not found to have had a criminal arrest history. However, he has been temporarily, involuntarily held under the Baker Act, which involves potentially mentally ill people, in 2017.
The Jacksonville sheriff added that in that particular situation of buying the guns, there was nothing illegal about Palmeter owning them. According to CNN, the news conference where the suspect's identity was revealed came a day after the gunman conducted what authorities believe was an anti-Black hate crime.
Additionally, Attorney General Merrick Garland said that the Justice Department was already investigating the shooting and considering it a hate crime and an act of racially motivated violent extremism.
Authorities noted that the gunman also used racial slurs, left behind a racist screed, and even drew swastikas on his firearm. Palmeter was found to have had the AR-15-style rifle and handgun he bought while also wearing a tactical vest and blue latex gloves during the crime.
Officials identified the shooting victims as 52-year-old Angela Michelle Carr, 19-year-old Anolt Joseph "AJ" Laguerre Jr., and 29-year-old Jerrald Gallion. A relative of Gallion, Sabrina Rozier, described the deceased as a fun, loving young man with a four-year-old daughter.
Authorities also said that the gunman was spotted near the nearby Edward Waters University library, where security guards tried to take him into custody but failed. Shortly before the deadly shooting, Palmeter's parents called law enforcement to say they found what they believed to be a manifesto, according to the Independent.
Hate-Filled Crime
The shooter allegedly called his parents before fatally shooting the three Black people and told them to look at his computer. Waters described the gunman's writings as a "disgusting ideology of hate." Palmeter, after killing his victims, took his own life.
Waters said that Palmeter's sickening ideology did not represent the values the Jacksonville community holds dear. The sheriff added that they were rejecting the so-called "inexcusable violence" that the gunman conducted.
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said they need to do everything in their power to dissuade the hate that Palmeter represented. She noted that the horrific incident happened five years after a mass shooting at a video game tournament in Jacksonville.
At the time, a gunman shot and killed two people and injured nearly a dozen others before committing suicide. Mayor Deegan said that Palmeter referenced that particular incident in his writings.
Officials from Edward Waters University also issued a public safety alert following the shooting, notifying its students of the development. ABC News said those who were already in their residence halls were kept there until the scene was cleared.
