JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 Nearly two years after a racially-motivated mass shooting took the lives of three people at a Dollar General on Kings Road, the Jacksonville community gathered at Kings Road Memorial Park to honor the victims and survivors of that tragic day.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, city leaders, survivors, and families of the victims came together for the third annual memorial ceremony\u2014just days before the August 26 anniversary. The event featured heartfelt tributes and the unveiling of new memorials, including tree plaques and a survivor bench.<\/p>\n
A solemn moment came during the reading of the victims\u2019 names:<\/p>\n
\u201cAngela Michelle Carr, Anolt \u2018AJ\u2019 Laguerre Jr., and Jerrald deShawn Gallion.\u201d <\/p>\n
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Each victim now has a dedicated plaque placed on a tree at the memorial park. The plaques were unveiled by their families, offering a place for reflection and remembrance.<\/p>\n This year also marked the first appearance of a survivor bench, engraved with the names of nine people who lived through the shooting. Among those recognized was Christina Briscoe, an assistant manager at the store who had hired Laguerre, affectionately known as AJ.<\/p>\n \u201cHe will say hey Miss Christine, are you hiring? I will tell him, AJ, you don\u2019t want to work here. You don\u2019t want to work at the store, honey,\u201d said Briscoe.<\/p>\n She shared that her decision changed after learning more about AJ\u2019s intentions.<\/p>\n \u201cHe told me that he needed a job for his grandparents. Parents to help his grandmother out,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n Another survivor, the store manager at the time of the shooting, gave a chilling account of witnessing AJ\u2019s final moments.<\/p>\n