Authorities say a racist, white suspect was armed with this rifle and also a handgun when he shot and killed three Black people at a Dollar General in Jacksonville, Florida, on Aug. 26, 2023. The rifle in this picture displays at least two swastikas. (Images: Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
A racist shooter opened fire at a store, killing three Black people then himself, according to Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters at a press conference on Saturday.
The suspect, a white man in his early 20s, left behind manifestos to his parents, the media, and federal agents, the lawman told reporters.
“Portions of these manifestos detailed the shooter’s disgusting ideology of hate. Plainly put, this shooting was racially motivated, and he hated Black people. He wanted to kill ‘n—-rs,’” said Waters, who is Black and was apparently quoting the suspect. “That’s the one and only time I’ll use that word.”
Waters told reporters that he was not sure if the suspect targeted specific people or locations, but he emphasized that the shooter wanted to kill Black people.
The suspect tried to enter the campus of Edward Waters University, but left when a security guard asked his name, the historically Black school said in a statement.
“It was later determined that the individual would be involved in a shooting near EWU Campus,” the school wrote.
🚨 EWU CAMPUS SAFETY UPDATE 🚨 pic.twitter.com/EzhYWg8eCZ
— Edward Waters University (@ewctigers) August 27, 2023
The sheriff told reporters that he did not name the killer because investigators have yet to positively identify him.
Waters said there’s “absolutely no evidence” the shooter was part of a large organization.
“We know that he acted completely alone,” he said.
Statement from @FBIJacksonville regarding shooting at Dollar General in Jacksonville, Florida on August 26, 2023 pic.twitter.com/bifivStB2R
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— FBI Jacksonville (@FBIJacksonville) August 27, 2023
#JSO Sheriff T.K. Waters, along with Mayor Deegan and other LEO partners and city leaders gathered today to speak about a shooting involving three victims – all of which died. The suspect, after being pinned down by officers, is believed to have taken his own life. pic.twitter.com/geDFAhtibl
— Jax Sheriff’s Office (@JSOPIO) August 26, 2023
The suspect is believed to have lived in neighboring Clay County, Florida, with his parents, Waters said. At 11:39 a.m. on Saturday, he left that county for Jacksonville, the sheriff said.
At 1:18 p.m., he allegedly texted his father and told him to check the computer. His family called the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at 1:53 p.m., but he had already begun the shooting by then, Waters said.
The suspect allegedly put on a tactical vest and mask, and headed to the Dollar General. He was armed with an AR-style rifle and a Glock handgun, Waters said.
He allegedly killed three people in the store. Waters told reporters that he was not identifying the victims right now. He said they were all Black, and that two were male and one was female.
Waters released some details about the suspect’s history. He noted that the man was involved in a 2016 domestic call in Clay County. There was no arrest. The sheriff did not clarify if the suspect was suspected of any wrongdoing in that matter.
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The shooter was also detained under Florida’s mental health Baker Act law in 2017, Waters said. Investigators were still looking into that in light of the new shooting.
Authorities are still working to determine who owned the guns used on Saturday. Waters emphasized that these did not belong to the parents. The couple did not want the firearms in their house, he said.
Sherri Onks, Special Agent in charge of the FBI field office in Jacksonville, announced that agents are investigating the shooting as a hate crime.
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