Ron DeSantis Booed by Mourners at Jacksonville Vigil After Racist Shooting

The Shooting Incident

The gunman who killed three victims in a racially motivated attack in Jacksonville, Florida, may have originally planned to target a different dollar store, according to surveillance footage. Here are the key details of the incident:

• The shooter, Ryan Palmeter, 21, initially arrived at a Family Dollar store but left without carrying out an attack.
• He then went to the Edwards Waters University, where he was turned away by a security guard.
• Palmeter proceeded to the Dollar General store, around a mile from the first store, where he murdered three people.

Victims Identified

The victims of the shooting have been identified as:

• Angela Michelle Carr, 52
• Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr, 19
• Jarrald De’Shaun Gallion, 29

Ron DeSantis Faces Backlash

In the wake of the gun violence and the state’s loosened gun laws, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faced backlash at a vigil held on Sunday. Here are the key points:

• The crowd at the vigil booed and heckled Mr. DeSantis, forcing him to step back from the microphone.

Kamala Harris on the Epidemic of Hate

Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the shooting and the broader issue of hate in America:

“Let us continue to speak truth about the moment we are in: America is experiencing an epidemic of hate. Too many communities have been torn apart by hatred and violent extremism. Too many families have lost children, parents, and grandparents. Too many Black Americans live every day with the fear that they will be victims of hate-fueled gun violence—at school, at work, at their place of worship, at the grocery store. Every person in every community in America should have the freedom to live safe from gun violence. And Congress must help secure that freedom by banning assault weapons and passing other commonsense gun safety legislation,” Harris said in her statement.

Public Reaction and Jacksonville’s Racist Past

The shooting incident has refocused attention on Jacksonville’s racist past and its struggle to move forward. Here are the key points:

• Jacksonville, with a population of nearly one million people, is still grappling with its Southern heritage while striving to become more cosmopolitan.
• The city elected its first Black mayor in 2011 but continues to face challenges in severing ties to its racist history.
• The shooting has evoked mixed emotions in the community, highlighting the ongoing struggle for progress.

President Biden’s Response

President Joe Biden commented on the shooting and his approach to reaching out to victims’ families:

“Two of [the families] are prepared to be contacted, one does not want to be contacted,” Mr Biden said. “I’m just letting things settle because everyone deals with profound loss in a different way and it’s important – know from experience, it’s important to try and do it in a way that is most helpful and eases the anxiety the most so I haven’t spoken to them yet,” he added.

Attorney Retained for Victim’s Daughter

The daughter of one of the shooting victims, Angela Carr, has retained civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump. Here are the details:

• Armisha Payne, Angela Carr’s daughter, will join attorney Ben Crump in a press conference.
• Crump stated, “Hate is toxic, destructive and deadly. Three families and an entire community are facing the devastating impacts of hate without bounds…”

Shooting Occurred on Anniversary of March on Washington

The shooting incident took place on the same day as the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr’s famous speech.