In a Jacksonville, Florida, Dollar General Store early Saturday afternoon, three people were shot and killed. The suspected shooter is also dead, according to authorities who responded to the scene of the mass shooting at the store.
According to a report by News4Jax, a witness said the suspected shooter allegedly fired at cars outside the store before going inside. Those he shot at, outside the store were reportedly the three victims.
Reportedly, the suspect then allegedly barricaded himself in the store. Sometime later he was killed when he turned the gun on himself.
Prior to the shooting, the alleged suspect was spotted around 12:45 p.m. at Jacksonville’s Edward Waters University near the school’s library. Reportedly, the deceased suspect’s parents contacted law enforcement informing them they had found a manifesto, left by the shooter. Deputies were then then dispatched to the family home.
According to police, the information left by the suspected shooter has led them to believe that he was racially motivated. All three victims, one female and two males, were all black. The alleged shooter was a white male.
As yet, no information has been released regarding the victims, the shooter or how the guns used were acquired. At the time of the shooting, community leaders, shocked and grieving with local residents held a prayer vigil outside near the store, praying for a peaceful resolve to another tragic circumstance.
“One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings.”
-Franklin Thomas
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“No one is responsible for the complexion of his skin. This fact of nature offers no clue to the character or quality of the person underneath.”
-Marian Anderson