'Diary of a madman': Florida shooter with 'several manifestos' originally targeted HBCU
The white gunman who murdered three Black people at a Jacksonville, Florida Dollar General store Saturday night has been identified by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Department.
The Sheriff's Department shared the suspect's name on Sunday via X — formerly known as Twitter — along with a photo, writing, "Sheriff TK Waters holds follow-up briefing to identify the three victims who senselessly lost their lives yesterday during this tragic event. The suspect has been identified as 21yo Ryan Palmeter."
Although department officials noted that the 21-year-old "bought his guns legally and had no criminal history," according to Reuters, "Authorities have described the shooting as racially motivated, saying the man had authored 'several manifestos; for media, his parents and law enforcement detailing his hatred for Black people."
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During the Sunday press conference, Waters described one manifesto as a "diary of a madman."
Reuters reports:
On Saturday, he was spotted trying to enter a local historically Black college, Edward Waters University, before heading to the Dollar General store.
The university said in a statement that a man had refused to identify himself and had been turned away by a campus security officer. 'It was later determined that the individual would be involved in a shooting near EWU campus,' the institution said.
The New York Times reports Palmeter used an "an AR-15-style rifle that bore swastika markings, as well as a handgun" to kill the three victims before turning the gun on himself.
READ MORE: Targeted 'because they were Black': Jacksonville’s state senator reacts to Saturday mass shooting
Reuters' full report is available at this link (subscription required).
