JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Dollar General store where three Black people were killed during a racially motivated shooting last summer reopened Friday morning in a northeast Florida community where it is among only a few stores selling fresh food to nearby residents.
Nearly five months after the Aug. 26 shooting, memorials dedicated to victims Jerrald Gallion, Anolt “A.J.” Laguerre Jr. and Angela Carr remained outside the New Town Dollar General store in Jacksonville, still decorated with photos, flowers and stuffed animals.
At the store’s entrance, the company installed a permanent plaque that says “#JacksonvilleStrong,” the Florida Times-Union reported.
“It was important to take the necessary time to listen to and evaluate feedback from employees and the community, which informed not only the store’s upgrades but also our efforts to reopen the store in a respectful and thoughtful manner,” Julie Martin, Dollar General divisional vice president of store operations, told Jacksonville television station WJXT during a tour of the store on Thursday.
The store sported a new look, which was the result of consultations with community members and local officials. The store now offers customers a wider variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, pre-made salads, frozen vegetables, cold cuts and milk.
The reopening has put the victims’ family “through their own individual emotional torment,” said South Florida attorney Adam Finkel, who represents the victims’ estates and some family members. They filed a lawsuit against the company late last year over lax security at the store.
“This was the site of a horrible mass shooting that should have never happened,” Finkel…
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