Community mourns as activists call for action against hate and gun violence.
Funeral services began Friday for three Black victims of a racist shooting at a Jacksonville, Florida Dollar General store, where friends, family, and activists gathered to honor their memories and demand change. Angela Michelle Carr, one of the victims, was remembered as a devoted mother and a kind-hearted person. Rev. Al Sharpton, who eulogized Carr, used the occasion to criticize laws that enabled the shooter, Ryan Palmeter, to purchase an assault rifle despite a history of mental health issues.
Carr, a 52-year-old Uber driver, was killed while sitting in her car outside the store on August 26. Palmeter, 21, went on to kill two more victims inside the store: A.J. Laguerre, a 19-year-old employee, and Jerrald Gallion, 29, who had arrived with his girlfriend. Palmeter, who later took his own life, left behind a manifesto filled with white supremacist rhetoric, revealing that the attack was racially motivated.
In his eulogy, Sharpton condemned both the lack of gun control laws and the rise of white supremacy. “How many people have to die before you get up — whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat — and say we’ve got to stop this?” Sharpton asked the congregation. He also referenced the disturbing presence of white supremacist groups protesting outside Disney World just days after the killings.
At Carr’s funeral, mourners remembered her as a loving and hardworking mother to three grown children. Her son, Chayvaughn Payne, spoke fondly of his mother, describing her as his “strong, beautiful queen.” He recalled how they spoke every day, no matter the circumstances, and shared how she taught him the value of hard work.
Gallion’s young daughter, who had witnessed her father’s tragic death, was present at the service with her grandmother. Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan also attended, showing solidarity with the families affected by the shooting. The funeral service took place at The Bethel Baptist Church, where the Rev. David Green Sr. emphasized that the attack on Carr and the other victims was an attack on the whole community, not just the individual families.
Local authorities, including Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters, have stated that Palmeter’s actions were motivated by racial hatred, and the investigation into the shooting continues. Meanwhile, leaders across the nation are calling for more stringent laws to address gun violence and hate crimes in the wake of this tragedy.
