US: Gunman kills three, himself in 'racially motivated' shooting in Florida

A white man with a high-powered rifle and a handgun killed three Black persons inside a Dollar General store on August 27 before shooting himself in Florida.The incident occurred at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville.

T.K. Waters, the sheriff of Jacksonville, stated at a press conference that the shooting was motivated by race and that the shooter despised Black people.Waters reported the suspect as a Caucasian male wearing a tactical vest, but his identity was not revealed.Waters reported that all three victims, two males and a woman were Black.

According to Waters, authorities believe the shooter acted alone and that, prior to the shooting, he wrote "several manifestos" outlining his hatred for Black people for the media, his parents, and law enforcement.

Waters described his weapons as a Glock and a rifle in the "AR-15 style"—a light, semi-automatic long gun frequently employed in mass shootings—with swastikas.According to Waters, "the hatred that drove the shooter's killing spree adds an additional layer of heartbreak."

He claimed that the gunman was spotted at Edward Waters University, a historically Black college nearby, where he put on his vest and a mask before heading to the local Dollar General, a bargain retailer with locations all across the country.

Federal authorities have launched a civil rights investigation into the incident, according to Jacksonville FBI special agent in charge Sherri Onks, and they will consider it as a hate crime.

Hate crimes are always and will be the FBI's top priority since they not only target a victim but also serve to terrorize and intimidate a whole community, as per Onks.