Current:Home > BackLoving mother. Devoted father 'taken away from us forever: Families mourn Jacksonville shooting victims-VaTradeCoin
Loving mother. Devoted father 'taken away from us forever: Families mourn Jacksonville shooting victims
View Date:2025-01-10 00:13:59
Hundreds of people gathered Sunday to remember and mourn the loss of three Black people who were fatally shot in what authorities say was a racist attack in Jacksonville, Florida.
Authorities say the suspect, a 21-year-old white man who wore a tactical vest while carrying an "AR-style" rifle and a handgun bearing a swastika, opened fire at a Dollar General store in the predominantly Black neighborhood of New Town on Saturday, killing two men and a woman. Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters identified the victims as Angela Michelle Carr, 52; A.J. Laguerre, 19; and Jerrald Gallion, 29.
“This is a community that has suffered again and again. So many times this is where we end up,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said Saturday. “This is something that should not and must not continue to happen in our community.”
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Sunday that it is investigating the shooting as a hate crime.
Here's what we know so far about the shooting victims:
'A BEAUTIFUL SOUL':Loved ones of Buffalo shooting victims mourn losses to tight-knit community
Jarrald De'Shawn Gallion, 29
Jarrald De'Shawn Gallion, a customer, was shot as he entered the store. During the Sunday evening prayer vigil, family and community members remembered Gallion as a devoted father who had planned to spend the weekend with his 4-year-old daughter.
Gallion's family recalled his sense of humor and work ethic, and that he viewed his job as a restaurant manager as a way to provide for her.
"My brother shouldn’t have lost his life," his sister, Latiffany Gallion, said Sunday. "A simple day of going to the store, and he’s taken away from us forever."
Sabrina Rozier, the child’s maternal grandmother, said Gallion "never missed a beat" and that he was supposed to see his daughter on Saturday.
Bishop John Guns said Gallion attended St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Jacksonville.
"In two weeks I have to preach a funeral of a man who should still be alive," Guns told the crowd. "He was not a gangster, he was not a thug — he was a father who gave his life to Jesus and was trying to get it together.
"I wept in church today like a baby because my heart is tired. We are exhausted," he added.
Angela Michelle Carr, 52
Angela Michelle Carr was someone who would invite people to cookouts and other family events, said her son, Chayvaughn Payne, The New York Times reported. Carr, an Uber driver, dropped off a friend at the store moments before she was killed.
"She would give her shirt off her back for people," said Payne, according to the Times. "This is really hard to process. To lose a mother for nothing."
Anolt Joseph "A.J." Laguerre Jr., 19
Anolt Joseph "A.J." Laguerre Jr., a store employee, was shot as he tried to flee.
Contributing: Charles Ventura, USA TODAY; Gary T. Mills, The Florida Times-Union; The Associated Press
veryGood! (4789)
Related
- Isiah Pacheco injury updates: When will Chiefs RB return?
- Biden will host Americas summit that focuses on supply chains, migration and new investment
- Officials: No immediate threat to public after freight cars derail from tracks near Detroit
- Movies and TV shows affected by Hollywood actors and screenwriters’ strikes
- Chet Holmgren injury update: Oklahoma City Thunder star suffers hip fracture
- 'The Holdovers' movie review: Paul Giamatti stars in an instant holiday classic
- 5 Things podcast: Israeli troops near Gaza City, Donald Trump Jr. took the witness stand
- Ferry that ran aground off the Swedish coast and leaked oil reported back in harbor
- 'Squid Game' creator lost '8 or 9' teeth making Season 1, explains Season 2 twist
- Bob Knight could be a jerk to this reporter; he also taught him about passion and effort
Ranking
- Sister Wives’ Kody Brown Explains His Stance on His Daughter Gwendlyn Brown’s Sexuality
- With interest rates unchanged, small businesses continue to struggle: I can't grow my business
- Tesla Cybertruck production faces 'enormous challenges,' admits Musk
- Why Olivia Rodrigo and Actor Louis Partridge Are Sparking Romance Rumors
- Kelly Rowland and Nelly Reunite for Iconic Performance of Dilemma 2 Decades Later
- Federal agents search home of fundraiser for New York City Mayor Eric Adams
- Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow and Chaka Khan ready for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
- Stay in Israel, or flee? Thai workers caught up in Hamas attack and war are faced with a dilemma
Recommendation
-
John Krasinski named People's Sexiest Man Alive for 2024
-
Director of new Godzilla film pursuing ‘Japanese spirituality’ of 1954 original
-
Man killed after pursuit and shootout with Alaska authorities, troopers say
-
Eviction filings in Arizona’s fast-growing Maricopa County surge amid a housing supply crisis
-
World War II veteran reflects on life as he turns 100
-
California officials confirm 2 cases of dengue, a mosquito-borne illness rarely transmitted in US
-
Teachers kick off strike in Portland, Oregon, over class sizes, pay and resources
-
Alabama state Rep. Jeremy Gray announces bid for Congress in new Democratic-leaning district