The loved ones of the three victims of the deadly shooting at a Dollar General Store in Jacksonville, Florida, have filed a lawsuit.
In August, a white gunman entered the store and opened fire, killing 52-year-old Angela Michelle Carr, 19-year-old Anolt Joseph “A.J.” Laguerre Jr., and 29-year-old Jerrald Gallion — all of whom are Black. Laguerre was an employee at the store, Gallion was a customer, and Carr was an Uber driver dropping off a rider.
Officials said the shooting was “racially motivated,” and the man behind it, identified as Ryan Palmeter, took his own life. Authorities found manifestos that illustrated the 21-year-old’s “disgusting ideology of hate.” He also had a history of domestic violence and mental health issues.
The complaint was filed on Monday, Dec. 4, and lists several defendants, including the parents of the shooter, Mary and Stephen Palmeter, the site owner, and the security contractor, per the 91-page document published by the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union. It seeks an undisclosed amount in damage over $50,000.
The filing highlights the events that occurred before Palmeter made it to the Dollar General store where the rampage took place. Before the shooting, he stopped at a Family Dollar and Edward Waters University, an HBCU, where campus police spooked him.
“A criminal’s safe haven, this Dollar General was devoid of meaningful security measures. While Palmeter was deterred from harming the public at his two preceding stops at this Dollar General, there was nothing in place to again deter Palmeter from attacking and killing innocent persons,” the document said. “Adorning a tactical vest and armed with a Glock handgun and an AR-15 marked with swastikas, Palmeter unleashed a barrage of gunfire upon innocent invitees of the Dollar General.”
It argues that the store was located in a” high crime area” where a string of illegal activity like assaults, shootings, robberies, and drug dealings have occurred, which should’ve prompted the defendants to have better safety measures in place. It also accused them of not correctly guarding the customers and employees and failing to have a reasonable number of security cameras on the property.
“We have ocular proof — visual evidence — that the presence of a security guard would’ve made all the difference in the world,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump said at a press conference on Tuesday.
In addition, the lawsuit calls on Palmeters to cover the plaintiffs’ damages. It alleges that the parents knew their son had alcoholism and was a “ticking time bomb” and “dangerous person.” It claims Ryan had books about firearms and imagery of death plastered throughout his bedroom.
“Defendant failed to take reasonable precautions to provide for the safety of the general public by failing to take action, including but not limited to informing the authorities about the threat posed by Ryan Palmeter and by allowing him and/or assisting him to retain his firearms, despite the evident danger posed,” the lawsuit said.
