3 dead in ‘racially motivated’ shooting at Dollar General in Jacksonville, Florida
“This is a tragic moment. My heart is heavy,” Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman said.
Three people were killed Saturday in a “racially motivated” shooting at a Dollar General in Jacksonville, Florida, authorities said.
All three victims were black, and the suspect detailed in his writings a “disgusting hate ideology,” according to Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters.
“The shooting was racist and he hated black people,” Waters said of the suspect.
The shooter was armed with an AR-15 type rifle and a handgun and was wearing a tactical vest when he shot three people – two men and a woman – before turning the gun on himself, according to Waters. No other injuries were reported in the shooting.
“This is a dark day in Jacksonville history,” Waters said. “As a member of this Jacksonville community, I am sickened by this cowardly gunman’s personal ideology of hatred.”
In this screen grab from a video, law enforcement officials work at the scene of a shooting in Jacksonville, Florida on August 26, 2023.
WJXX
The suspect has not been officially identified at this time, Waters said.
The incident caused a heavy police presence in the west of the city.
Edward Water University has issued a public safety alert alerting students to the shooting that occurred near its campus. Students are being held in their residences until the scene is cleared, the alert says.
“This is a tragic moment. My heart is heavy,” Jacksonville City Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman told ABC Jacksonville affiliate WJXX. “People in this community are hurting – and they have every right to. It doesn’t make sense. I’m very, very angry right now.”
“It’s unfair that we can’t even walk on the sidewalk because we’re not safe in any store,” she continued.
The FBI Field Office in Jacksonville is helping, according to an FBI spokesperson in Jacksonville.
Bernie Lubell of ABC News contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check for updates again.
ABC News
