What happened in Jacksonville? Racially motivated Dollar General mass shooting sparks outrage online

On Saturday, August 26, 2023, a white man reportedly killed three black people (two men and one woman) at around 2 pm inside a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida. Police reported that the man was armed with a high-powered AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and a Glock handgun and that the "shooting was racially motivated." However, after killing the three black people, he also shot himself.

As per The Guardian, police reported that before killing himself, the shooter had left "several manifestos" for media and his family so as to justify his despise for the Black people. He had even sent a text to his father to check his computer for the files, but by the time his family notified 911, he reportedly shot himself.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters talked about the incident in a press conference, saying:

"This shooting was racially motivated, and he hated Black people. The hate that motivated the shooter's killing spree adds an additional layer of heartbreak."

Waters further said that before going to the Dollar General store to attack the people, the shooter was reportedly seen at Edwards Waters University, which is a local historical Black college. At the college, he was seen putting on a mask and a vest.

Talking about the prioritization of hate crime cases by the FBI, Sherri Onks, a special agent in charge of the Jacksonville FBI office, said:

"Hate crimes are always and will always remain a top priority for the FBI because they are not only an attack on a victim, they're also meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community."

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The recent Jacksonville shooting sparked outrage online as some social media users critcized the governor

As the news of the recent "racially motivated" shooting at Dollar General made it to the internet, netizens expressed their shock and anger at the same. Many social media users took to platform like X and said that this is the time to disarm hate and tackle white supremacy. Stressing on the need to put an end to shooting and arm possession, some even criticized the governor, Ron DeSantis.

It is also worth noting that US President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland were also given a brief about the Jacksonville shooting incident.

Meanwhile, a statement was provided to CBS News by Dollar General, the dicount chain with several outlets across the US. They said:

"heartbroken by the senseless act of violence that occurred at our Kings Road store", adding that "supporting our Jacksonville employees and the DG family impacted by this tragedy is a top priority as we work closely with law enforcement."

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Investigation about the racially motivated attack is underway

Sheriff Waters released a statement about this incident and said that the investigation is currently underway. In a statement, Waters said:

"Two men and one woman were killed in the shooting, he said. Authorities have not publicly identified the gunman but said he was in his early 20s and fatally shot himself after law enforcement arrived at the scene. No other people suffered gunshot wounds, and the shooter is believed to have acted alone."

FBI is investigating this matter and have announced that it is a case of hate crime, as reported Washington Post.

There has been a surge in hate crimes recently. Last year, a hate crime took place at a Buffalo grocery store, where black shoppers were targeted. Hate trackers have also commented on this and said that there is a need to counter the racist propaganda.