US: 'Racially motivated' shooting claims three lives in Florida
'Racially motivated' shooting in US: Three individuals were killed in a 'racially motivated' shooting at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday afternoon, according to officials, CNN reported.
Officials stated the person in the "racially motivated" shooting who opened fire and killed others is also dead.
"This was a racially motivated shooting, and he hated Black people," Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters stated at a news conference, according to CNN. He added that the shooter, who is White, shot himself after the crime, and left evidence outlining his "disgusting ideology of hate" and motivation for the attack.
According to Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, the alleged shooter was barricaded inside the store after opening fire and killing "multiple people." Tracie Davis, a state senator, told CNN.
The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson, Eric Prosswimmer, told CNN that the department was "on standby" to treat patients but could not say how many people were injured.
Jacksonville is situated 35 miles south of the Georgia border in northeast Florida. Several churches and an apartment complex across the street can be located in the immediate area of the Dollar General store.
Edward Waters University, a historically Black private Christian school located less than a mile southeast of the store, has issued a campus-wide stay-in-place order. According to preliminary reports, pupils, teachers, and staff do not appear to be involved according to the warning.
“Our campus police have secured all campus facilities. Students are being kept in their residence halls through the afternoon until the scene is cleared," the alert said.
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- With inputs from agencies
