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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has faced criticism following a "racially motivated" shooting in which a masked white man fatally shot three Black people inside a Jacksonville store.
The gunman used a weapon painted with a swastika to carry out the attack in a Dollar General in a predominately African-American neighborhood on Saturday, officials said. The shooter, who had also posted racist messages, then killed himself.
The attack that left two men and one woman dead was definitely "racially motivated," Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters told a news conference.
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"He hated Black people," Waters said after reviewing the man's posts.
The shooting prompted criticism of DeSantis, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination.
Many pointed to a bill signed into law by DeSantis that allows people to carry concealed weapons without a government permit which came into effect on July 1. They also accused the governor of fueling hate in his state with laws and policies targeting the teaching of Black history.
"Hey, Ron DeSantis: We aren't forgetting about the permitless carry bill you signed," Victor Shi, a delegate for President Joe Biden, wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"Nor are we forgetting about the white nationalism & fascism you've bred with your attacks on Black history & the LGBTQ+ community. You have blood on your hands. We are going to make you find out."
Jon Cooper, a Democratic fundraiser, wrote: "A new law in Florida—in effect as of last month—allows gun owners to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. Who thinks Ron DeSantis and the GOP-controlled state legislature share the blame for today's mass shooting in Jacksonville?"
DeSantis was also slammed by Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones, a Black Democrat who was expelled from the state's House of Representatives by a Republican majority for taking part in a protest calling for more gun control after a deadly school shooting in Nashville. He was later reinstated.
"To see three precious Black lives taken in a state where you have an asinine governor attacking Black people, attacking Black history and then you have people making excuses saying it's not a gun issue when he had an AR-15," Jones told CNN's Jim Acosta.
"I mean other nations have hate, but we're the only nation that keeps having mass shootings because of policy decisions and we don't have to live this way. We don't have to live this way anymore."
Some also called out the governor for not immediately heading to Jacksonville. DeSantis was campaigning in Iowa.
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"He doesn't even have the decency to go to Jacksonville because he's too busy running for president. Florida deserves better. Our country deserves better," Shi wrote.
A DeSantis spokesperson did not immediately confirm if the governor would pause his campaign and fly to Jacksonville, CNN reported.
DeSantis called the shooter a "scumbag" and denounced his racist motivation in a video statement.
"He was targeting people based on their race. That is totally unacceptable," he said.
"This guy killed himself rather than face the music and accept responsibility for his actions and so he took the coward's way out. But we condemn what happened in the strongest possible terms."
Newsweek has contacted DeSantis' office and campaign for comment via email.
Update 8/27/2023 2:34 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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