On August 26, 2023, Angela Michelle Carr, a 52-year-old resident of Jacksonville, Florida, was fatally shot in a racially motivated attack at a Dollar General store on Kings Road. Carr, who worked as an Uber driver, had just dropped off a customer at the store and was sitting in her idling car outside when she was targeted by the gunman. She was shot multiple times and killed in her vehicle.
Carr was described by her family and her pastor as a loving and caring mother of three and a grandmother of 16. She was a devout member of St. Stephens AME Church in Jacksonville and was known for her strong faith and her role as a provider for her family. Her daughter, Ashley Carr, remembered her mother as a multifaceted figure who was "the mother, the father, the provider, the counselor, the pastor" for their family.
The shooter, identified as 21-year-old Ryan Christopher Palmeter from Clay County, Florida, was motivated by a hatred for Black people. He left behind manifestos detailing his racist ideology and used a Glock handgun and an AR-15-style rifle in the attack. Palmeter died by suicide as police responded to the scene.
Carr's funeral was held at The Bethel Church, where she was remembered for her strength, faith, and devotion to her family. The service included criticisms of laws that allowed the gunman to purchase the weapons used in the attack and condemnations of the rhetoric that may have emboldened such hate crimes. Rev. Al Sharpton and other ministers spoke at the service, calling for action against rising hate crimes and gun violence.
The community has continued to grapple with the aftermath of the tragedy, maintaining a memorial in front of the Dollar General store where Carr and the other victims, Jerald Gallion and AJ Laguerre Jr., lost their lives. The memorial serves as a reminder of the innocent lives lost and the need for continued vigilance against hate crimes.
