Dollar General gunman had manifestos: What we know about the shooter, Ryan Palmeter

A Clay County man shot and killed three people in a racially motivated incident at a Kings Road Dollar General store in Northwest Jacksonville on Saturday afternoon, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

The gunman — identified Sunday as 21-year-old Ryan Christoper Palmeter — was armed with a Glock handgun and an AR-style rifle and wore a tactical vest.

Here’s what we know about the shooter.

Who is the gunman in the Dollar General store shooting?

Ryan Christoper Palmeter, a 21-year-old white man, lived with his parents in neighboring Orange Park in the Oakleaf community of Clay County, more than 15 miles from the shooting scene. Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters withheld the shooter’s name until he could be positively identified.

How did the Dollar General store gunman die?

After fatally shooting the three victims — two men and one woman, all Black — the gunman shot and killed himself, Waters said.

What weapons did the Dollar General gunman use?

The shooter was armed with a Glock pistol and an AR-style rifle emblazoned with swastikas.

Did the Dollar General gunman have any previous encounters with police?

Previous incidents included a 2016 domestic call to his home that did not result in an arrest, police said. A year later, he was temporarily detained for emergency health services under Florida's Baker Act law when he threatened to commit suicide. The sheriff said he had no criminal record and there were no red flags.

Court records show he also had one June 28 speeding ticket in Jacksonville. He was driving a 2004 Honda Element on Old Middleburg Road going 41 mph with a 35 mph speed limit, according to the citation.

Did the Dollar General gunman leave a manifesto?

After the shooting, law enforcement officials learned that the gunman had authored “several” manifestos, including one each to his parents, the media and federal agents. The sheriff released it to the public on Jan. 19, 2024. The 27-page diatribe references the "N" word 183 times and also expresses Palmeter's disdain for the LGBTQ community.

Was the Dollar General shooting racially motivated?

The manifestos left by the gunman "detailed the shooter’s disgusting ideology of hate,” Waters said. “Plainly put, this shooting was racially motivated, and he hated Black people. He wanted to kill n—,” Waters said. “That's the one and only time that I will use that word.”

The Dollar General store may not have been his first target

Before he shot and killed three people at the Dollar General store, the shooter went to a Family Dollar store and was seen at nearby Edward Waters University, police said. At the university, the first historically black college in Florida, the shooter drove onto the campus, where he was confronted "almost immediately" by security, A. Zachary Faison, Jr., the university's president and CEO, said in a video statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.

After being confronted by security personnel, the shooter put on an armored vest, got back into his vehicle and drove down Kings Road, Faison said.

Did the Dollar General shooter act alone?

Yes. There was no evidence that the shooter was part of a larger group, Sheriff T. K. Waters said.

Did Ryan Palmeter have any connection to Dollar General?

He worked at a Dollar Tree store in the Oakleaf area from October 2021 to July 2022, according to the sheriff. He also first stopped at a 1282 Kings Road Family Dollar before going to Edward Waters College and finally the Dollar General. At the Family Dollar he even purchased some item, but he left when a security vehicle pulled into the parking lot. Sheriff Waters does not believe that's where he originally intended his violence.

Who did Ryan Palmeter notify about his plans?

The sheriff said at 1:18 p.m. in the office of the Dollar General, after the killings, Palmeter texted his father to check his computer. By the time family notified the Clay County Sheriff's Office, it was over.

What was Ryan Palmeter wearing during the Dollar General shooting?

He had on a tactical vest, mask and blue latex gloves.

Did Ryan Palmeter purchase the guns legally?

Yes, according to the sheriff. All gun sales were handled accordingly.

Who were the victims in the Aug. 26 hate crime shooting at the Jacksonville Dollar General?

The Sheriff's Office identified the victims were Angela Michelle Carr, 52, Anolt Joseph “A.J.” Laguerre Jr., 19, and Jerrald De’Shaun Gallion, 29.

How were the victims killed in the Dollar General hate crime shooting?

Sheriff T.K. Waters said Ryan Christopher Palmeter gave no warning to any of the victims. He said he killed the first person, Angela Carr, firing 11 rounds at her car in the parking lot. He then entered the store and shot the 19-year-old employee, AJ Laguerre.

Multiple people got out the rear door, and he followed but went back in and shot at but missed the security camera. Jerrald Gallion and his girlfriend soon came into the store, when Gallion is killed. Waters said he chased and fired at the woman, missing her, but didn't specify if that was the girlfriend. He did also let some people go, the sheriff confirmed.

How was Ryan Palmeter described?

“This was quite frankly a maniac who decided he wanted to take lives,” Sheriff T.K. Waters said, specifically Black people.

“The manifesto is, quite frankly, the diary of a madman," he said the next day. "He was just completely irrational. But with irrational thoughts, he knew what he was doing. He was 100 percent lucid.”

One neighbor told Action News Jax he came off as an unhappy standoffish man.

Did Ryan Palmeter's hate crimes have any connection to The Jacksonville Landing mass shooting?

Palmeter's manifestos included a reference to this being on the anniversary of 2018 Jacksonville Landing shooting during an Madden NFL 19 tournament at Chicago Pizza, according to Mayor Donna Deegan. Gunman David Katz shot a dozen people, killing two, before turning the gun on himself.

Was Ryan Palmeter active on social media?

In perhaps an unusual twist, Palmeter didn't seem to be very engaged on social media, although the sheriff said a video of him putting on his bullet-proof vest at Edward Waters University did appear on TikTok shortly before 1 p.m. He does not appear to have a Facebook or Instagram. And his X account, formerly known as Twitter, hasn't had a post since 2019 when he said “Looking forward to a bright career in Business Administration!” with a photo of an acceptance letter to Flagler College.

His X profile states: “Oakleaf High School attendee, 3.5 GPA, certified in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator CS6 and Adobe InDesign, drinks too many AriZona products.”

Where did Ryan Palmeter live?

The sheriff said he lived with his parents in Clay County. His father's 911 call said they lived in the 600 block of Timbermill Lane.

Who are Ryan Palmeter's parents?

Stephen and Maryann Palmeter are his parents. His mother appears to be a director of physician billing compliance at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville, according to a LinkedIn page. They are named along with the Dollar General corporation in a civil lawsuit by three victims' families.

Who is Ryan Palmeter's brother?

Older brother James Patrick Palmeter and two co-defendants pleaded guilty to a 2017 armed burglary of a Jacksonville home where two firearms, computer software and keys to vehicles were stolen, according to court records. He is serving an eight-year sentence in prison with a scheduled release date of June 17, 2024, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. He also pleaded no contest in 2017 to possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis and use or possess drug paraphernalia in Clay County.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Ryan Palmeter: What we know about Jacksonville Dollar General store shooter