JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 21-year-old Clay County man was identified as the shooter went into a Dollar General Saturday and senselessly took the lives of three people in the New Town neighborhood, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said at a news conference.
The sheriff broke down an extensive timeline of events from when Ryan Palmeter put on his tactical gear at Edward Waters University to when he ended his life with a gunshot.
In April, Palmeter made his first purchase of a Glock 20 at Orange Park Gun and Pawn. Palmeter, then, made another purchase for an AR-15 type rifle at Wild West Guns & Gold in June, the sheriff said.
On Saturday, Palmeter was spotted pulling up behind the library at EWU in a gray Honda Element to prepare for the attack by putting on his tactical gear such as a mask, ballistic vest and gloves, Waters said.
EWU security backs into a parking spot in the same parking lot that the shooter was in. Palmeter, according to Waters, drives off and security follows him.
Security flags down a Jacksonville Sheriff Officer to tell them there was a suspicious man wearing a grey tank top, black shorts, and bulletproof vest and blue latex gloves on campus.
The officer was processing a be-on-the-lookout (bolo) alert for Palmeter when shots started to ring out.
JSO’s ShotSpotter system alerted police that 11 rounds were fired near Kings Road.
Around 1:08 p.m., Palmeter is caught on surveillance camera shooting into a black Kia that was parked in front of the store and killed 52-year-old Angela Carr, who was sitting inside the vehicle. The sheriff said the 11 rounds were the shots that he fired into Carr’s vehicle.
Palmeter then heads into the store, according to Waters, and fatally shoots 19-year-old Anolt Joseph (AJ) Laguerre Jr. Other customers who were also shopping at the time run toward the rear door with Palmeter leaving through the same door.
The ShotSpotter alert system detects one round going off. One minute later, Palmeter goes back into the store and unsuccessfully tries to shoot out a security camera and the first 911 call is reported to authorities, Waters said.
Jerrald Gallion, 29, walks into the store with his girlfriend and Palmeter fatally shoots him before chasing a witness around the store while shooting at her until she leaves through the rear door, Waters said.
The woman was not hit. Palmeter continued to shoot out the rear door and the ShotSpotter was initiated again.
According to Waters, Palmeter retreats back into the store and heads toward the office. He texts his father, “Use a screwdriver to get into my room.”
The father finds a last will and testament and a suicide note on Palmeter’s laptop.
Eleven minutes after the shooting began, SWAT officers entered the store and heard a single gunshot, which Waters said is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot that killed Palmeter.
SWAT confirmed Palmeter was dead around 3:44 p.m.
Waters said Palmeter did not have any criminal arrest history. However, he was confined through the Baker Act in 2017 and held for 72 hours then released without further involuntary commitment. The sheriff did not share what led to the Baker Act.
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