Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis received boos and jeers as he entered the room to address a Sunday vigil for victims of the Jacksonville Shooting, where a white shooter killed three Blacks at Dollar General.
DeSantis who is running to be the GOP’s presidential nominee said that the state would look to find funds to boost security at Edward Waters University – a historically Black college where the gunman arrived before the attack, but left the campus without incident.
DeSantis stated, “We will not allow people to target these institutions.”
As the heckling continued, a councilwoman from the locality told DeSantis’ supporters to set aside their political differences, which allowed him to continue.
DeSantis stated that the act of the shooter was totally unacceptable for the state of Florida. The shooter was a 20-year-old white man who committed suicide after the shootings.
DeSantis continued, “We will not allow people to be targeted because of their race. We will stand up, and do whatever we can to ensure that evil doesn’t triumph in Florida. We will work with Edward Waters to ensure that they get the security they require.”
The governor said anyone who targets historically Black colleges and Universities in Florida will be held accountable.
DeSantis’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the reaction of the crowd during his remarks.
DeSantis opened his Monday morning news conference to give a briefing on Tropical Storm Idalia. He announced that the state has allocated $1 million to Edward Waters University for increased security on the campus.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters. Waters.
The victims have been identified as Angela Michelle Carr (52), Anolt “AJ” Laguerre Jr. (19) and Jarrald de’Shawn Gallion (29).
The Republican Governor has been criticized by the left for his anti-“woke” agenda, and gun control advocates have criticized him over his efforts at easing gun restrictions in a state that has experienced numerous mass shootings, including the Marjory Stoneman-Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in 2018, and the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, in 2016.
DeSantis also received criticism after the state implemented new standards which teach that some Blacks benefited from slavery as it taught them useful abilities.
