Three Killed in Florida ‘Racially Motivated’ Shooting

Facts

• Police on Sunday identified Ryan Christopher Palmeter, who is White, as the shooter in what they classified as a “racially motivated” attack that resulted in three Black people being killed at a dollar store in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday.¹
• Sheriff TK Waters said Palmeter, 21, used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and a Glock handgun to shoot one victim as she sat outside a store in her car, shot another after entering the store, and shot a third minutes later.²
• Police described how Palmeter initially drove to Edward Waters University — a historically Black college and university (HBCU) — but was denied entry. He then went to the store and killed 52-year-old Angela Michelle Carr, 19-year-old Anolt Joseph Laguerre, and 29-year-old Jerral De’Shaun Gallion.³
• Police also said that Palmeter, who killed himself at the scene, called his father to tell him to enter his room at home, where he found a “last will and testament” and a suicide note on the son’s laptop.⁴
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has opened a civil rights investigation and is treating the incident as a hate crime, as Waters said that Palmeter left behind “several manifestos” detailing his hatred of Black people.⁵
• Pres. Joe Biden reacted to the tragedy by saying “white supremacy has no place in America,” and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination — called Palmeter a “hateful lunatic” and vowed to protect HBCUs.⁵

Sources: ¹USA Today, ²PBS NewsHour, ³The Washington Post, ⁴FOX News, and ⁵The Guardian.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by Salon. It’s hypocritical for DeSantis and other Republicans to claim they sympathize with these victims when it’s GOP policies that incite these types of tragedies. In addition to the lax gun laws DeSantis has signed in Florida, his unending talk of fighting against “woke” ideas is nothing but a dog whistle for racist policies. Republicans should take action to further equality and safety rather than inciting hate.
• Republican narrative, as provided by Townhall. Democrats are using the aftermath of a tragedy to talk about politics and find ways and undermine the Second Amendment. This horrific incident was carried out by a wicked individual, and any talk about guns should be related to how well-intentioned armed citizens could have made a difference. Restricting law-abiding Americans’ access to firearms is never the answer.