Gunman Kills Three and Himself in Racially-Motivated Florida Shooting

A gunman killed three, and himself, in a racially motivated shooting in Jacksonville, FL Saturday afternoon.

The Details: According to authoritie, a white male in his 20s, armed with an assault rifle decorated with swastikas and a handgun, murdered three black people at a Dollar General store. The shooter left manifestos to be discovered by his father for the media, law enforcement, and his parents detailing his hatred for black people. The shooter was reportedly turned away from the historically-black Edward Waters University before proceeding to Dollar General.

For Context: Authorities have not yet identified the suspect, but were in touch with his parents. The suspect was involved in a 2017 law enforcement call under the Baker Act, a Florida law that allows people to be detained and examined for up to 72 hours during a mental health crisis.

Key Quotes: “This shooting was racially motivated and he hated black people,” said Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters. Sherri Onks, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Jacksonville office said, “We have opened a federal civil rights investigation, and we will pursue this incident as a hate crime.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the gunman a “scumbag” and said, “Targeting people based on their race… is totally unacceptable.”

How The Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum covered the events fairly similarly. CNN (Lean Left bias) included context on mass shootings, of which it said there have been 470 in the United States so far this year.