Florida man sentenced for racist attacks on 2 Black women on different days

Charles Frazier
·2 min read
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A Florida man is headed to prison after pleading guilty to federal hate crimes.

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27-year-old Frederick Eugene Pierallini III admitted to attacking two black women with guns on two separate occasions in 2022.

According to court records, Pierallini went to a convenience store in Jacksonville where the first victim was working at the cash register as a clerk.

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Pierallini’s card was declined as he was trying to buy snacks before he attempted to simply leave the store without paying for the merchandise.

When he returned to the store, Pierallini began to berate the clerk while directing racial slurs at her. He then left the store again, got a shotgun from his car, and pointed it at the victim before loading around into it, causing the victim to run away in fear.

Investigators say Pierallini continued to use racial slurs throughout the confrontation.

Two days later, on Sept. 12, Pierallini approached another black woman as she sat in her walker on a public sidewalk. He directed racial slurs at her as well and told her that she could not sit where she was.

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Again, Pierallini threatened to kill the victim before he left, returned with a shotgun, and fired one round.

The shotgun blast didn’t wound the second victim, but she did sustain injuries when she fell in response to the shot.

Pierallini pleaded guilty to the crimes back in July of 2023.

On Wednesday, he was sentenced to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

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“The defendant is being held accountable for targeting two Black women with a gun on two separate days because of their race,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “No one in this country should have to live in fear that when they use public spaces or work at their job, they risk attack by someone who hates them because of the color of their skin.”

“The violent assaults committed against these two women because of their race are intolerable,” U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger Handberg added. “There is no place in our society for such heinous acts. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals who target individuals and communities because of their race, ethnicity, or beliefs.”

The FBI’s Jacksonville Field Office and Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

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