What is known about Ryan Palmeter, the perpetrator of the racist shooting at a Dollar General store in Florida (and the weapons he used)

Ryan Christopher Palmeter, a white man who “hated black people,” killed two African-American men and a woman Saturday at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida. The crime occurred the same day that thousands of people gathered in Washington to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s anti-racist I Have a Dream speech.

According to the AP agency, the shooting it happened in the afternoon in a store Dollar General in New Town, a predominantly black neighborhood of Jacksonville. The store is near the Edward Waters University, historically focused on the black community that has around 1,000 students. The university said the man was seen on campus by a security guard shortly before the shooting and asked him to leave when he refused to identify himself. She was seen donning her bulletproof vest and a mask before leaving. Jacksonville Sheriff, TK Waterssaid Sunday that it appeared college was not his goal.

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The first victim, identified as angela michelle carr, 52, was shot in her car. The second murdered was Anolt Joseph AJ’ Laguerre Jr., 19 years old and store employee. And the third, Gerald Gallon29, was shot as he entered the establishment.

Sabrina Rozier and her boyfriend Jerrald Gallion. Gallion was killed Saturday at a Jacksonville Dollar General store. (Sabrina Rozier via AP)

But what is known of the author of the shooting What about the weapons he used in the attack?

Ryan Christopher Palmeter I was 21 years old. She lived with her parents in the neighbor clay county and had no criminal record.

the sheriff TK Waters said palmeter he had been involved in a 2016 domestic violence incident that did not lead to an arrest.

In addition, in 2017 he was forcibly committed for a 72-hour mental health examination.

Said detention was ordered by the state under the baker law, which allows residents to be “taken to a residential facility for an involuntary exam” during a mental health crisis. The sheriff did not specify the cause of the incident.

“There was no criminal record, nothing,” Waters said. “There was no alarm signal,” added.

A photograph of shooter Ryan Christopher Palmeter is displayed on a video monitor during Sheriff TK Waters’ press conference in Jacksonville, Florida. (Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP)

In his attack, palmeter used two firearms: a pistol glock and a AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. The authorities ensured that both weapons were purchased legally earlier this year.

The pistol was acquired in April and the rifle in June.

“In this situation, there was nothing illegal about him possessing the firearms.” said Sheriff TK Waters.

Ryan Christopher Palmeter used an AR-15 rifle and a pistol during the attack at a Florida Dollar General store. (REUTERS). (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office/)

After being taken out of the Edward Waters University, Ryan Christopher Palmeter headed to the store Dollar General. When he arrived, he was dressed in a bulletproof vest under his shirt. He had gloves on and was wearing a mask.

The security of the university reported to the police of Jacksonville about a suspicious person wearing a gray tank top, black shorts, a bulletproof vest, and blue latex gloves.

Once at the store, the attacker first stopped in front of the security vehicle. angela michelle carr and fired 11 shots from his rifle through her windshield, killing her.

He then entered the store and turned to his right, fatally shooting the clerk. Anolt Joseph AJ’ Laguerre Jr.according to a security video that was made public.

People began to escape through the back door of the store. The killer chased them and shooting.

After that, he returned to the interior of the store and found Gerald gallon, who was entering through the front door along with his girlfriend. She shot and killed him.

He then chased a woman through the store, shot at her but missed.

According to authorities, the murderer uttered Racist insults while shooting. On the gun he used was drawn the swastika.

A handgun found at the scene of a shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, on August 26, 2023. (Photo: AFP) (-/)

After committing the murders, Ryan Christopher Palmeter entered the store office Dollar General and sent a text message to his father. He told her to use a screwdriver to get into his room.

Once inside, the father father found a suicide note, a will and a manifesto. In addition, on his computer there were writings that the sheriff TK Waters described as racist. They were addressed to his family, federal authorities and the media.

“The manifesto is, frankly, the diary of a madman”Waters said. “It is completely irrational. But with irrational thoughts, he knew what he was doing. He was 100 percent lucid.”

Eleven minutes after the shooting began, when the police entered the store, palmeter committed suicide.

Police are monitoring the area where the shooting occurred. (EFE/EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH).

The shooting has been repudiated by the highest authorities of USAfrom the president Joe Biden to the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis. All agreed in qualifying it as a “racial hate crime”.

Through a statement on Sunday Biden expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and explained that the federal authorities have opened an investigation into the attack, which they treat as “a possible hate crime and violent extremism”.

“We have to say loud and clear that there is no place for white supremacism in America.. We must refuse to live in a country where families go to the store or school in fear of being killed because of the color of their skin.”, Biden expressed.

“Silence is complicity and we must not remain silent,” he added.

Earlier, the United States attorney general, merrick garlandhad announced that the Department of Justice opened an investigation for racial crime.

“No one in this country should live in fear of hate-fueled violence and no family should have to grieve the loss of a loved one to bigotry”Garland condemned in a statement.

For his part, the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantisissued a statement condemning the events and explained that the murderer “chose the victims based on their race, something totally unacceptable.”

“This man committed suicide before facing the situation and accepting responsibility for his actions, so he took the coward’s way out,” added the also Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election.

“It is a dark day in the history of Jacksonville. There is no place for hate in this community,” the sheriff said. TK Waters by revealing the details of the crime and showing the weapons used by the murderer.

the mayor, Donna Deagan, present at the sheriff’s appearance, also confirmed the reasons: “As the sheriff said, it is a hate crime. It’s up to us to do everything we can to discourage this kind of hate.”

Source: Elcomercio