Exactly five years after a similar act, a man shot three people – and then himself – in Jacksonville, Florida. The police are assuming a hate crime and the victims were black.
A man shot dead three other people and then himself in a Florida store, Jacksonville police said at a news conference. The sheriff of the affected city, TK Waters, spoke of a hate crime. The victims – two men and a woman – were black. The perpetrator was described as a white male in his early 20s. In a manifesto he made racist statements.
“The shooting was racially motivated and he hated black people,” the sheriff said. The alleged shooter had written several writings before the crime in which he had set out his hatred in detail. The suspect used a pistol and an assault rifle, one of which had a swastika painted on it. Authorities currently believe the shooter acted alone. The FBI launched a hate crime investigation.
Indication of conscious choice of the day
Five years ago to the day, a man opened fire at a video game contest in Jacksonville, killing two people. He then turned the gun on himself. Sheriff Waters said today’s suspected shooter left notes that suggested he deliberately chose the anniversary.
The crime scene is not far from Edward Water University, which has been cordoned off because of the incident. The students initially had to stay in their rooms, the educational institution said.
Mayor Donna Deegan spoke of an “unacceptable” act in an interview with a regional television station. “These mass shootings are hard to digest,” said the politician.