Governor, Mayor and Sheriff join bipartisan coalition of leaders condemning racial violence

Governor Ron DeSantis joined Mayor Donna Deegan, Sheriff TK Waters, and a bipartisan coalition of local elected leaders Sunday night at a prayer vigil held near the scene where three Black residents’ lives were taken in Saturday’s racially motivated mass shooting at a New Town Dollar General.

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The victims, Angela Michelle Carr, Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr., and Jerrald De’Shaun Gallion, were gunned down by a 21-year-old racist gunman, who crossed county lines to target the predominantly Black area of Jacksonville.

“Today is about showing up for these residents that did not deserve what happened,” said Councilmember Ju’Coby Pittman (D-District 10), who represents the New Town area.

It was a display that has become increasingly rare in Florida politics in recent years: Leaders from opposite ends of the political spectrum standing shoulder to shoulder united in their message condemning the racial violence inflicted upon Jacksonville’s Black community.

“No more division. No more hate. We cannot tolerate against our Black community,” said Mayor Deegan.

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

During the Governor’s remarks, many members of the crowd made it clear they didn’t believe the racist killings happened in a vacuum.

Boos and critiques of DeSantis’ policies rang out from the audience as he began to speak, but in a moment of bipartisanship, Councilmember Pittman stepped in and urged the crowd to settle.

“It ain’t about parties today, because a bullet don’t know a party,” said Pittman.

Nikki Fried, Chair of the Democratic Party of Florida, said she understood the crowd’s frustration, and added she hopes the Governor heard the voices of the community.

“That in this community we need love, we need compassion, we need unity,” said Fried.

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As the Governor went to depart, he was confronted by State Representative Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville), who asked for a meeting with the leader whom she has often found herself at odds with through the years.

“In front of the media, you’re telling me you’re going to meet with me?” said Nixon.

“Private meeting,” DeSantis replied.

Afterward, Nixon told Action News Jax she plans to hold the Governor to that commitment.

“To squash the rhetoric, the hateful rhetoric and the gaslighting and things like that, which has been running so rampant my entire terms in office. It’s just time to end this so we can start healing as a community,” said Nixon.

Councilmember Pittman said donations can be made to help the victims’ families at JFRD.com.

Governor DeSantis and Mayor Deegan were also both committed to looking for opportunities to better fund and protect the New Town community moving forward.

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