Jacksonville Gunman Wore Rhodesia Army Patch on Tactical Vest: Report
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The racist shooter who gunned down three Black people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday wore a Rhodesian army patch on his tactical vest, according to a report. Law enforcement sources told NBC News that the 21-year-old killer Ryan Palmeter—who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the attack—wore the symbol that has been linked to previous white supremacist attacks. Rhodesia was a white minority-ruled unrecognized state in southern Africa in the 1960s and 70s in the territory of modern day Zimbabwe. Investigators say the patch was further evidence of his racist motivations. “This shooting was racially motivated, and he hated Black people,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters told reporters Saturday. Authorities also said over the weekend that he’d drawn swastikas on the firearms used in the assault. The victims have been identified as Angela Michelle Carr, 52; Jerrald De’Shaun Gallion, 29; and Anolt Joseph “A.J.” Laguerre Jr., 19.