Photos: Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office\YouTube Screenshots
Washington – Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), addressed the Jacksonville shooting that left three Black people dead after a hate-filled gunman opened fire.
“The shooting in Jacksonville appears to be a hate crime. The shooter appears to have been blocked from entering an HBCU, so he decided to open fire at a Dollar General while we were marching against hate in Washington.
“Nineteen buses came here from Florida today, including one from Jacksonville, and while these Floridians were still on the road there was a killing in their home state.
“I am reminded of the Birmingham bombing, which came just a few weeks after the 1963 March on Washington.
“I will address this at my sermon tomorrow morning at Howard University in Washington, and I will talk to faith leaders in the coming days.”
Witnesses say the now-deceased gunman was seen earlier in the day at Edward Waters University, a historically Black college, wearing a ballistic vest before heading to the Jacksonville Dollar Tree.
Officials also shared photos of the shooter’s rifle, which was adorned with racist rhetoric and symbols.
Editor’s Note: The suspect, reportedly in his twenties has not yet been named.
