Jerrald Gallion’s family was left in despair, struggling with the task of breaking the painful news to his four-year-old daughter. 29-year-old Gallion and his girlfriend were casually shopping in a Florida Dollar General store when a radical gunman engaged in a racist slaughter spree, targeting the young, black father. Another two victims were also claimed in this untimely bloodbath before the shooter turned the gun on himself, leaving behind a trail of horrendous racist literature. The trauma left the victims' families grappling with the brutal reality of violent racism.
Sabrina Rozier, the grandmother of Gallion's child, expressed her shaken faith in societal progression, “I thought racism was behind us. But evidently, it’s not.”
As we delve deeper into the narrative of the Sunflower State shooting, let's reflect on the victims whose lives were unfairly taken:
Losing Angela Michelle Carr, 52, a devoted Uber driver, shattered her family. Angela was making a drop off at the Dollar General when the shooter laid siege, though it's unclear if she was on duty or helping a known acquaintance. Her demise left her daughter, Ashley Carr, devastated, struggling to understand this bleak reality, “I knew I could always count on her, and now she’s gone…My family lost a light but gained a star.” Now, without her mother’s loving support, Ashley leans on her faith, prayer, and her extended network of family and friends.
Gallion was robbed of his life, leaving his daughter fatherless. Notorious for his active involvement and loving bond with his daughter, he had even planned their attire to match at a father-daughter dance in February. “A father-daughter dance was coming up in February. He was so excited about it – talking about the colors they was going to wear and all. And he was robbed of that. And so was my granddaughter,” lamented Rozier.
The death of Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr., the 19-year-old Dollar General employee, brought an additional dimension of tragedy to the event. Remembered as someone who epitomized resilience and optimism, his older brother Quantavious Laguerre memorialized him on a verified GoFundMe page. AJ held onto his positivity despite losing his mother at five and pursued his dreams of becoming a professional video gamer alongside his job at the dollar store. However, his aspirations were cruelly shattered by the event. Faced with unexpected financial burdens, Quantavious is now raising funds for his brother's funeral and their family's relocation.
