Spiritual Leader Advocates for Grief Over Anger in Wake of Racially-Motivated Shooting in Jacksonville, Florida

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The clergyman of a nearby church in the vicinity of the racially-driven fatal attack on three Black individuals in Florida urged his parishioners on Sunday to emulate the teachings of Jesus Christ, channeling their sorrow into reflection rather than indignation.

The mayor of Jacksonville was visibly emotional during her address, while others at the service scrutinized the state’s political discourse as a contributing factor to such heinous racial acts.

This violent incident has deeply impacted an historic Black community in Jacksonville. The occurrence coincided with thousands traveling to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Rev. Al Sharpton’s 60th-anniversary commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom—famous for Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” oration.

Sunday services at St. Paul AME Church, located approximately three miles from where the atrocity took place, were centered on this latest episode in America’s extensive history of racially-motivated killings.

“Our spirits are shattered,” said Rev. Willie Barnes to his congregation on Sunday morning. “Like many of you, I am struggling to suppress my own anger.”

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan was overcome with emotion as she spoke to the church members. “It often appears as though we are regressing as a society,” she noted.

“Some argue that the current public rhetoric is simply political maneuvering, devoid of genuine sentiment,” Deegan added. “But for the three lives lost, this is not mere political spectacle.”

Hymns such as “Amazing Grace” were sung and prayers were offered for the bereaved families and the larger community. The congregants, heads lowered, responded with affirmations of “amen.”

The perpetrator, a white male masked and armed with a firearm marked with a swastika, carried out the shooting at a Dollar General store, resulting in the deaths of two men and one woman.

The crime occurred in close proximity to Edward Waters University, a small and historically Black institution. In addition to the firearm adorned with Nazi symbolism, the assailant made racially hateful statements prior to the attack. He took his own life at the scene.

State Rep. Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat, was one of several elected officials to comment during the church service. She emphasized that these racially-motivated acts have been spurred on by current political rhetoric and policies from the Republican-controlled state government, led by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Sheriff T.K. Waters indicated that the attacker acted alone and left behind statements to federal law enforcement and media that hinted at the attack being designed to coincide with the fifth anniversary of another mass shooting in Jacksonville.

The names of both the victims and the perpetrator were not immediately disclosed. However, local media sources speculated on the identity of the assailant, which was not independently verified by The Big Big News as of early Sunday.

Regarding safety at Edward Waters University, the campus security had encountered the individual near the library, asking for his identification. When the man refused, he was directed to leave and was seen donning a bullet-resistant vest and mask before departing the campus.

According to Sheriff Waters, the attacker sent a text message to his father shortly before the incident, instructing him to check his computer, where writings were found. The family alerted 911, but the act had already been committed.

Mayor Deegan remarked, “This is a community that has endured repeated suffering. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in this grim situation yet again.”

Rudolph McKissick, a national board member of the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and the senior pastor of Bethel Church in Jacksonville, opined that the political climate was aggravating racial tensions in Florida.

Other racially-motivated incidents include a 2022 mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, which resulted in ten fatalities, and a 2015 shooting at an African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston, South Carolina.

The incident occurred a day before Jacksonville’s 63rd anniversary of the infamous “Ax Handle Saturday,” during which 200 members of the Ku Klux Klan attacked Black protesters peacefully opposing Jim Crow laws. Police took no action until a Black street gang intervened, resulting in the arrest of only Black individuals.

Marsha Dean Phelts, 79, a resident of Jacksonville, was in Washington for the King commemoration. She resides in Amelia Island, a beach community established due to segregation. “We didn’t have access to public amenities, even though our taxes were funding them,” she recalled.

LaTonya Thomas, 52, another Jacksonville resident, emphasized the historic significance of their journey to Washington, D.C., for the commemoration event.

Contributions for this report were made by AP writers John Raoux in Jacksonville, Terry Spencer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Trisha Ahmed in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Mike Balsamo in Washington.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Jacksonville Racially-Motivated Shooting

More about Jacksonville Racially-Motivated Shooting

• Jacksonville Racially-Motivated Shooting: Full Report
• Historical Context: The 1963 March on Washington
• Background: Florida’s Political Rhetoric and Racial Tensions
• Past Incidents: Buffalo Supermarket Shooting
• Previous Hate Crimes: Charleston Church Shooting
• Understanding Hate Crimes in the United States
• Ax Handle Saturday: Jacksonville’s Painful Past
• Edward Waters University: An Historically Black Institution
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: Policies and Public Statements
• St. Paul AME Church: Community Response to the Tragedy