A teen employee, a vivacious mother and a 4-year-old’s dad were killed in a racist rampage in Jacksonville. These are their stories
CNN, WJXT
By Holly Yan and Isabel Rosales, CNN
(CNN) — Despondent and bewildered, Jerrald Gallion’s family had no idea how to tell his 4-year-old daughter that her dad was never coming home again.
Gallion, 29, and his girlfriend had just walked into a Dollar General store in Florida when a gunman set on killing Black people opened fire on the young father, authorities said.
By the end of the gruesome rampage, two other victims were also dead. The gunman, who left behind a barrage of racist writings, killed himself. And mourners were left with a stark reminder of how violent racism can be.
“I thought racism was behind us. But evidently, it’s not,” said Sabrina Rozier, a grandmother of Gallion’s young daughter.
As the investigation continues, more details are emerging about the lives lost. These are some of their stories:
‘The best woman in the world to me’
Angela Michelle Carr, 52, was an Uber driver who was dropping someone off at the Dollar General when the shooter fired into her car.
It’s not clear if she was working at the time or just driving someone she knew, her daughter Ashley said. But the way her mom was stolen from her defies comprehension.
“I knew I could always count on her, and now she’s gone,” Ashley Carr said. “My mom is and will always be the best woman in the world to me.”
Angela Carr “was fearless and thoughtful, rough yet gentle,” her daughter said. “My family lost a light but gained a star.”
But the daughter must now navigate life without the woman she looked up to.
“I’m at a total loss for words. All I can do is continue to pray for strength – not only for my family but also for the other families – and hope they find comfort within their friends and family and love each other because you just never know when it’ll be the end.”
In addition to the families of the other victims, Ashley Carr said she also sends her condolences and prayers to the shooter’s parents.
A 4-year-old will grow up fatherless
Gallion was a doting father who was very active in his daughter’s life.
“She loved her daddy, and her daddy loved her,” Rozier said.
“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,” Rozier said. “And he was robbed of that. And so was my granddaughter.”
Rozier said the family struggled to tell the little girl that her daddy is gone.
“I have no answers for her,” Rozier said. “All I can do is hold her and her mother and listen to my daughter cry.”
A young employee was senselessly gunned down
Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr., 19, was an employee at the Dollar General store, his family and the company said.
“AJ’s life was marked by resilience and positivity, even in the face of adversity,” his brother Quantavious Laguerre posted on a verified GoFundMe page supporting the family.
“We lost our mother on January 10, 2009, when AJ was just five years old. Despite this immense loss at such a young age, AJ remained positive and strong for all of us, supporting us through the challenging times that followed our mother’s passing,” Quantavious Laguerre wrote.
“A recent graduate, AJ worked at Dollar General while also pursuing his passion for video games by streaming on the side. He had aspirations of becoming a professional streamer, a dream that was tragically cut short,” his brother said.
“Unfortunately, AJ did not have life insurance, and we are now faced with the unexpected financial burden of funeral and memorial costs. Additionally, we wish to honor AJ and our siblings’ request to be buried next to our mother in Bradenton, Florida, which requires transportation from Jacksonville,” Quantavious Laguerre posted.
“I am setting up this GoFundMe to help cover the costs of AJ’s funeral, memorial, transportation, and relocation of our family. Any contribution, no matter how small, will be deeply appreciated and will go a long way in helping us give AJ the send-off he deserves.”
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CNN’s Amanda Jackson and Sara Smart contributed to this report.
