A gunman who shot dead three black people in a “racially motivated” attack in Florida has been named.
Ryan Palmeter, 21, killed Angela Michelle Carr, 52, inside her car outside the Dollar General store in Jacksonville before shooting dead employee AJ Laguerre, 19, and customer Gerrald Gallion, 29, inside, Sheriff T K Walters told a news conference on Sunday.
He said the suspect “targeted black people” before killing himself.
“Plainly put, this shooting was racially motivated and he hated black people,” he told reporters.
In a statement, President Joe Biden noted the shooting occurred on the same day as the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington.
“We must refuse to live in a country where black families going to the store or black students going to school live in fear of being gunned down because of the color of their skin,” he said.
Residents talk with Jacksonville police officers near the scene. Pic: AP
Sheriff Waters said he used a Glock handgun and an AR-15 style rifle emblazoned with swastikas during his killing spree which occurred shortly before 2pm local time.
Palmeter reportedly left several manifestos littered with racial epithets detailing his hatred of black people.