On Aug. 26, 2023, three Black people were killed in Jacksonville, Florida, in what is being considered a racially motivated attack. The Jacksonville Police Department has since reported that Ryan Palmeter, a White man, was the perpetrator. Palmeter, armed with an AR-15 and a handgun, opened fire at a Dollar General, shooting and killing Angela Michelle Carr, A.J. Laguerre and Jerrald Gallion before killing himself.
Before the deadly attack, the shooter was seen on the campus of Edward Waters University, a historically Black college. A police officer working for the school was alerted by students about Palmeter. He immediately jumped into action, chasing him off campus before calling the police.
In Sheriff T.K. Waters’ playback of the event, it was reported that Palmeter texted his father after the shooting, telling him to go check his room. There, Palmeter’s father found a suicide note and a will. His father then called the police when he learned what his son was planning, but he was too late. Not only did Palmeter leave behind racist writings, but his AR-15 had swastikas drawn on it. The shooting is currently being investigated as a hate crime by the FBI.
The Black residents of Jacksonville are outraged by these vicious killings, and many Black church leaders have come forward to condemn the actions of Governor Ron DeSantis. The Black church leaders along with members of the community marched on Jacksonville City Hall to let their voices be heard and to call an end to the policies enacted against them.
Many of DeSantis’ policies have directly targeted Black people, making Florida an environment where discrimination is common. Some of these policies include his anti-protest law, the redrawing of congressional maps and the Stop WOKE Act. It is not a stretch to say that these policies emboldened Palmeter and reinforced his beliefs. If his own governor is comfortable displaying prejudice so blatantly, why would he do any differently?
The rise of anti-queer and anti-Black rhetoric as well as laws and policies made against these groups have directly contributed to the resurgence of Nazism in the United States, especially in DeSantis’ Florida. The attack in Jacksonville is devastating, but it is not the first and it will not be the last. Not until politicians stop demonizing and punishing those who are different from them can things start to change. Without people like DeSantis lighting the way for those like Palmeter, fewer people will be led to the violent extremism demonstrated in the tragic shooting in Jacksonville.
