Jacksonville, FL is in mourning.

Jacksonville

The Story

Jacksonville, FL is in mourning.

What happened?

On Saturday, a white gunman opened fire at a Dollar General store, killing three Black people. Authorities said the gunman died after shooting himself. The 21-year-old shooter was armed with an AR-15 style rifle and a Glock handgun that he bought legally. Witnesses said one of the guns was painted with swastikas and that the shooter made racist statements before opening fire. He had first tried to get into Edward Waters University, a small HBCU in the city, but was asked to leave by on-campus security. Now, local officials are saying “this shooting was racially motivated.”

Explain.

The shooting is the latest carried out by a white gunman in the US. Authorities said the shooter wrote several manifestos filled with “ideology of hate.” The Justice Dept said it was “investigating this attack as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism.” Jacksonville is a city where 30% of its residents are Black. Last year, a shooter targeting Black people killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo, NY. In 2019, another gunman killed 22 people at a Walmart in El Paso, TX before telling police he wanted to kill Mexicans.

theSkimm

The US has already seen more than 400 mass shootings in 2023. This attack is adding to a list of racist assaults Americans have faced during a time when virtually no new federal firearm legislation is in the works.

Who's bouncing back...

Simone Biles. Yesterday, the 26-year-old gymnast won a record eighth national all-around title. This is the first time an American gymnast, male or female broke this record — and it comes a decade after she won her first. The achievements don't stop there — she's also now the oldest female gymnast to achieve such a feat. The record-breaking gymnast took a two-year hiatus following the 2021 Tokyo Olympics — where she withdrew from several events to “focus on her mental health.”

Who Russia is talking about…

Yevgeny Prigozhin. Yesterday, Russian authorities confirmed Prigozhin died in a plane crash after completing “molecular-genetic examinations.” Still, Russia didn’t note what might’ve caused the plane crash. The Wagner boss was known to use body doubles and had his death incorrectly reported twice before. The incident comes just two months after Prigozhin staged a mutiny against Russian military leaders — considered one of the strongest challenges against Russian President Vladimir Putin. It led many to speculate that Putin might’ve played a role in Prigozhin’s death. Several US officials have said off the record that Putin might’ve had something to do with it and there might’ve been an explosion onboard. The Kremlin has called the notion that Putin is behind the incident a “complete lie.”

Who got handed a red card…

Luis Rubiales. Over the weekend, FIFA suspended the president of Spain’s soccer federation for 90 days. The move comes amid controversy over Rubiales giving star player Jenni Hermoso an unwanted kiss following Spain’s Women’s World Cup win. The Royal Spanish Football Federation has stood behind Rubiales, and has threatened legal action against Hermoso for allegedly lying about the kiss. The entire team is refusing to play any games so long as Rubiales is president. Other coaches have resigned over the incident. Hermoso has said she “felt vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist out of place act without any consent on my part.” #SeAcabó, which means “it’s over,” is trending on social media as Spanish football is reckoning with the moment. Spanish soccer officials are meeting today to discuss what comes next.

What smells like money…

Former President Trump’s mugshot. Over the weekend, Trump’s campaign said it raised $7.1 million in funds. The campaign was quick to sell everything from shirts to bumper stickers to koozies with the tagline “never surrender.” Green Day (yes, the band) is jumping in on the action, selling their own mugshot shirt — and proceeds will go to victims of the Maui fires. Social media was quick to give its own take with people posting a flurry of memes and jokes over 45’s photo moment.

Who could use his latest selfie to launch an OF…

Bad Bunny.

While many of us fear the “Happy Birthday” text from an ex…

Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson did things a little differently.