‘Your policies caused this’: Ron DeSantis booed at vigil for victims of Florida Dollar General store shooting

Ron DeSantis said that the state would be offering financial support for security at Edward Waters University, near which the rampage took place

Published on: Aug 28, 2023, 11:54:16 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a prayer vigil for the victims of a mass shooting a day earlier, in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023 (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

As the crowd shut Ron off, the councilwoman tried to silence them, saying, “It ain't about parties today. A bullet don't know a party.” Ron continued, “We're going to be announcing some stuff tomorrow morning which I think will help, not only with security, but also an attempt to help these families. What he did was totally unacceptable in the state of Florida.”

He added, “We are not going to let people be targeted based on their race. We are going to stand up, and we are going to do what we need to do, to make sure that evil does not triumph in the state of Florida.”

‘The diary of a madman’

The 21-year shooter, who targeted the Jacksonville shop, shot AJ dead as he tried to escape. Angela was gunned down by 11 bullets as she sat in her car in the parking lot outside the store. Gerald was killed while he was entering the shop with his girlfriend, Sheriff TK Waters confirmed, according to New York Post. Many other people managed to flee the store as Ryan attempted to shoot them.

It is believed that Ryan acted alone in the attack. A suicide note and multiple racist manifestos were found in Ryan’s computer at his parents’ Clay County house, where he lived. “The manifesto is, quite frankly, the diary of a madman,” Sheriff Waters said. “He was just completely irrational. But with irrational thoughts, he knew what he was doing. He was 100% lucid.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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