A shooting at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida left four people dead, including the shooter, on Saturday, with authorities saying they believe the attack was racially motivated, local media reported.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters stated during a press conference that the suspect was wearing a tactical vest and armed with an "AR style" rifle and a handgun and killed three people before turning the gun on himself. All three victims of the shooting were black, according to the sheriff.
The suspected shooter, a white male, had authored several manifestos to his parents, the media, and federal agents. The shooter's rifle was reportedly covered in swastikas and other extremist symbols.
"Portions of these manifestos detailed the shooter's disgusting ideology of hate," said Waters. "Plainly put, this shooting was racially motivated and he hated black people. He wanted to kill n*****s. There is absolutely no evidence that the shooter was part of any large group. We know that he acted completely alone."
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan told News4JAX a man had barricaded himself in Dollar General on Kings Road.
Jacksonville Council Member Ju'Coby Pittman, who described the incident as a tragedy, said she understood that the suspect was killed by self-inflicted wounds.
Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King, III, Andrea Waters King, and Anti-Defamation League director Jonathan Greenblatt released a joint statement in response to the shooting, stating "While thousands of people from all walks of life - Black, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, White, Latino, Sikh, Hindu, LGBTQ+, young and old - marched today in our nation's capital for the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, a white man in Jacksonville, Florida, motivated by a sheer desire to kill Black people, opened fire at a dollar store, killing three people, all Black."
"This hate is abhorrent, detestable, beyond humanity, and must be condemned by all. We all need to come together in solidarity in standing up to the evils of white supremacy and intolerance of all forms. Such bigotry should have no place in our society. And it is a reminder that the hate-fueled violence that Dr. King called out sixty years ago and that we condemned today from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial aren’t antiquated concerns, but remain a clear and present danger that threatens us all," continued the joint statement. "As we continue to march for justice and equality, we also mourn the lives lost today and send our hearts and prayers to the victims and their families.”
Widespread safety precautions deployed throughout community
A local institution, Edward Water University, released a public safety warning after the shooting occurred near its campus, US media reported. ABC News Jacksonville reported that students were on lockdown in their dormitories until they received clearance from the police.
"This is a tragic moment. My heart is heavy," Pittman told ABC Jacksonville. "The people in this community, they're hurting -- and they have every right to. This makes no sense. I am very, very angry right now."
"It's unjust that we can't even walk on the sidewalk because we're not safe in any stores," she added.
The FBI's Jacksonville field office is also involved in the investigation, a spokesperson said.