Remembering the victims of the racially motivated Jacksonville Dollar General shooting
"Her spirit will always live because she has us," one victim's daughter said.
One was a loving mother working as an Uber driver, another was a devoted father who wanted to give his 4-year-old daughter the world and the youngest victim killed in a racially motivated attack in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday was a 19-year-old employee of the Dollar General where the rampage occurred.
All three victims of the massacre were Black and law enforcement officials said they were slain because of the color of their skin.
Here is what is known about the three people allegedly gunned down by a 21-year-old white supremacist gunman, who died from suicide after authorities said he committed the massacre while wearing a bulletproof vest and wielding an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle:
Angela Michelle Carr
Angela Michelle Carr, 52, was a loving mother of three and a grandmother of 16, said her family and her pastor.
Carr worked as an Uber driver and had just dropped off a customer at the Dollar General Saturday afternoon when she was shot to death in her vehicle outside the store, according to Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters. She was the first victim killed in the attack, Waters said.
"She was just a loving, caring mother," said the Rev. David Green Sr., the pastor of St. Stephens AME Church in Jacksonville, where Carr was a devout member of the congregation. "She was a person who was a provider. She provided for her family."
Carr's daughter, Ashley Carr, told ABC News that her mother "was everything" to her family.
"She was great. She was that Chaka Khan song: 'I'm Every Woman,' Ashley Carr said. "She was the mother, the father, the provider, the counselor, the pastor. She was everything."
She said her mother gave birth to her as a teenager.
"So, I grew up with her. I've seen the changes. I've experienced them all with her," Ashley Carr said. "And to get to this point and to be a mother (with) my own kids, I get it. I understand going through how she went through divorce and how she went through family issues and how strong she was."
She said her mother was a woman of faith, adding, "Based on her spirituality, based on her connection with God, I know that she's OK."
"She's no longer here, but she's still here if that makes sense," she said. "Her spirit will always live because she has us."
Anolt Joseph "AJ" Laguerre Jr.
At age 19, Anolt Joseph "A.J." Laguerre Jr. was described by his father as "a bright young man" whose promising life was cut short just as it was blossoming.
Laguerre Jr. was the second victim killed in the attack at the Dollar General store where he worked, according to authorities.
"My son is a bright young man, who hasn't even lived life, just graduated from high school," his father, Anolt Laguerre Sr. told ABC News.
In a photo he shared with ABC News, the proud father posed with his son who was holding his high school diploma after graduating last year.
"AJ is very kind, intelligent, outgoing and willing to help anyone in any way he can," the senior Laguerre said in a text message. "But his life got taken away by (a) lifeless individual who doesn't like African Americans."
Dollar General confirmed Laguerre Jr. worked at the store.
"The DG family mourns the loss of our colleague Anolt Joseph "AJ" Laguerre Jr., who, along with two of our customers, were the victims of senseless violence...," the company said in a statement. "We extend our deepest sympathies to their families and friends as we all try to comprehend this tragedy. There is no place for hate at Dollar General or in the communities we serve."
Jerrald De'Shaun Gallion
Jerrald De'Shaun Gallion was preparing to pick up his 4-year-old daughter, Je Asia, when he stopped by the Dollar General store to shop and ended up losing his life, his sister told ABC News.
The 29-year-old Gallion was killed, just minutes after he entered the store as the rampage was unfolding.
“I want people to know, he was a loving guy. He was a devoted father," Gallion's sister, Latiffany Gallion, told ABC News. "His hopes and dreams were to give his daughter the world and make sure she never wanted for anything."
Latiffany Gallion said her brother lived near the Dollar General store in the New Town neighborhood and that she learned of the shooting from a cousin who called her and said, "'I think your brother is involved.'"
"He was just going on a normal Saturday outing, probably looking for things to buy for his house," Latiffany Gallion said.
She said she couldn't have asked for a better brother.
"To me, he was just a great brother, loving, protective. He had a good heart. He loved his family. He loved his siblings," Latiffany Gallion said. "I just want to make sure his life stands for something."
She said her brother also loved sports and was a big fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Florida State Seminoles football teams.
"This world has too much hate and not enough love," she said. "How do I explain to my daughter when she asks why that man (the gunman) did what he did? And how do I tell her she is a target because of the color of her skin?”
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