Jacksonville NAACP: Racist shooting ‘deeply disheartening’

The Jacksonville NAACP chapter called the shooting of three Black patrons of a local Dollar General “tragic” and “senseless” and expressed solidarity with the victim’s families and the community as a whole. 

“It is deeply disheartening that our black communities live in constant fear of being targeted based on the color of their skin, unable to shop at their local store without the threat of violence,” the chapter said in a statement. 

Ryan Christopher Palmeter on Saturday killed three people, all of whom were Black, authorities said. Palmeter, 21, had written numerous racist manifestos before the shooting, according to Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters. Palmeter died Saturday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“It is particularly poignant that this event occurred on the anniversary of the mass shooting at the Jacksonville Landing five years ago and on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington,” the NAACP chapter said.

Five years ago, a gunman from Baltimore opened fire during a video game tournament at a restaurant, killing two and wounding 11 others before taking his own life. 

Saturday’s shooting came just hours after thousands filled the streets of Washington for the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the same march that saw the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech. 

The Rev. Al Sharpton, along with Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King and their daughter Yolanda King, were co-organizers for Saturday’s demonstration. Many of the speakers at Saturday’s event called for gun reform and an end to racially-motivated hate crimes, including those against Black Americans, Jewish Americans and Asian Americans.

The Jacksonville NAACP said it is committed to supporting efforts to help end racially motivated hate crimes. 

“Together, we must work towards a future where hate has no place and where all individuals can live without fear of senseless attacks,” the Jacksonville NAACP said. “Let us urge our legislature to reconsider the permitless carry law, which facilitates easier firearm possession.”