(ConservativeJournal.org) – Three people were killed at a Dollar Tree in Jacksonville, Florida in late August in what authorities have described as a racially motivated attack. All three victims, a woman and two men, were black.
The gunman, a 21-year-old white male identified as Ryan Christopher Palmeter, left behind three manifestos, all outlining an “ideology of hate,” according to authorities. The gunman shot himself after killing three people. According to authorities, the gunman had painted a swastika on one of the guns used in the attack.
At a press conference over the weekend, the sheriff of Jacksonville, T.K. Waters, said the shooter still lived with his parents and had no criminal history. Palmeter was put in an involuntary hold once in 2017 under the Baker Act, which allows for someone to be detained for up to 72 hours if there is evidence the person is a danger to themselves or others.
The suspect was seen on the premises of a historically black college in the area, Edward Waters University, shortly before the shootings occurred. A security guard approached Palmeter and asked for his identification. Palmeter refused and returned to his car without incident, at which point he then headed to the Dollar Tree where he carried out the shooting.
Shortly after 1 PM the day of the attack, Palmeter texted his father and told him to check his bedroom, at which point the father found the manifestos, a will, and a suicide note. The father immediately alerted the authorities, but unfortunately, it was too late to prevent the killings.
Palmeter used two guns, both of which he bought himself. Sheriff Waters stated that normally, someone who was held under the Baker Act is ineligible to purchase firearms. The sheriff said he wasn’t sure why Palmeter was able to purchase guns and said it’s possible the his involuntary hold wasn’t recorded properly in the system or if it wasn’t considered a “full Baker Act.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis condemned the act “in the strongest possible terms” and called the shooter a “scumbag.”
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