JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tears were shed and prayers were echoed as people from across the United States gathered under the shade of five large trees Sunday evening to honor those killed in a racially motivated shooting that has left a Florida community both fearful and outraged.
With just 24 hours’ notice, hundreds of people, including state and city leaders, came together at a vigil near the Dollar General store in the northwest Jacksonville neighborhood, where a white gunman opened fire and killed three Black people on Saturday afternoon.
“This right here is a real representation of community,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the vigil. “What that man did was not a representation of us and who we are as a city. So I’m very encouraged by this.”
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
Authorities said Ryan Palmeter, 21, was armed with a Glock handgun and AR-15 style weapon and wearing a tactical vest when he drove to the store on Kings Road and went on the shooting rampage, which lasted less than 10 minutes. The victims, killed inside and outside the store on Kings Road, were identified as Angela Michelle Carr, 52; store employee Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre, Jr., 19; and Jarrald Gallion, 29. Palmeter took his own life after the incident, which is being investigated by federal authorities as a hate crime.
Gallion’s 4-year-old daughter Je Asia was at the vigil, though family members said she had no idea her father had died. The last time they saw each other was during a FaceTime call at 2:30 a.m. on Friday when she had trouble sleeping, according to her maternal grandmother Sabrina Rozier.
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
“I don’t know how to tell her that her daddy (is gone),” she told reporters after the vigil. “I don’t have the words.”
Still, she said Je Asia now has an entire village behind her.
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
Family members said Gallion was a loving person, a great father, and someone who would give you the shirt off his back. His sister Latiffany Gallion told the AJC that following his death, both she and others now have to be his voice.
When news of the shooting broke, Gallion said she went into panic mode and had to wait hours for a confirmation after fearing the worst. She called what happened in the predominantly black neighborhood “sickening.”
“I just really hope we make an impact in our community and in the country because enough is enough,” she added. “My brother shouldn’t have lost his life. A simple day of going to the store and he’s taken away from us forever.”
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
It was unclear if the families of the other two shooting victims were at the vigil. Local, state and federal law enforcement were in attendance, as were city firefighters. It was a showcase of both unity and support.
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
Those who spoke at the gathering included religious leaders, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who received an icy welcome from many in attendance. He was met with boos, leading Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman to take the microphone and tell the crowd to put the parties and politics aside.
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
Moments after the heckling subsided, DeSantis announced financial support for security at Edward Waters University, where the gunman had stopped before the shooting, and for the families hurt by the tragedy. He called Palmeter a “deranged scumbag,” and said Florida would do its part to stop people from being targeted by their race.
Deegan, who recently was elected mayor, received a much warmer welcome due to her longtime connection with the city. She rallied against hate against Jacksonville’s Black community and apologized for what happened.
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
Credit: David Aaro / David.Aaro@ajc.com
“I share your grief and I feel personal responsibility, a personal failure for not having been able to do something to protect you yesterday,” she told the crowd. “We’ve got to start seeing each other’s humanity, hearing each other, listening to each other, talking to each other, and recognizing that no matter what we are us, and we are all the same flesh, blood and bone.”
“But this beautiful mosaic of a city that we have is our greatest strength,” she added. “I love you, and we’re just getting started.”
About the Author
