Jacksonville, FL — Following a tragic racially-motivated shooting that claimed the lives of three individuals at a Dollar General store last August, family members have filed a lawsuit against the store’s landlord, operator, and security contractor. The lawsuit alleges negligence, asserting that lax security measures contributed to the deaths of their loved ones.

The incident involved a 21-year-old gunman, Ryan Palmeter, who had previously attempted to enter another store and a historically Black college campus but was deterred by security guards at both locations. Unfortunately, the fatal assault occurred at the Dollar General in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Jacksonville.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the families of Angela Carr, Jerrald Gallion, and A.J. Laguerre, claims that insufficient security measures were in place at the Dollar General despite Palmeter’s previous attempts to harm the public. The families argue that given the area’s history of shootings, assaults, burglaries, robberies, and drug dealing, enhanced security measures should have been implemented by the store operator and landlord.

Ryan Palmeter took his own life at the scene of the attack, leaving behind racist writings and a suicide note. The families of the victims have also included Palmeter’s estate and his parents as defendants in the lawsuit.

Investigators revealed that Palmeter harbored explicit hatred toward Black people, as indicated in his writings. During the attack, he texted his father, instructing him to check his computer for a note. Unfortunately, authorities were notified after the shooting had already commenced.

Palmeter had a history of involvement in a 2016 domestic violence incident that did not result in an arrest, and he underwent involuntary commitment for a 72-hour mental health examination the following year. The assailant utilized both a Glock handgun and an AR-15-style rifle in the shooting.

Efforts to obtain comments from Dollar General’s corporate offices have not yielded an immediate response. The lawsuit, filed in state court in Jacksonville, seeks accountability for the tragic incident and addresses the critical need for enhanced security measures in the face of escalating violence in the surrounding community.