Florida Governor Ron DeSantis encountered a hostile reception during a prayer vigil in Jacksonville, where the community had gathered to remember the victims of a recent mass shooting targeting Black individuals.

Boos erupted as DeSantis was introduced, prompting him to step back from the microphone.

Another speaker then addressed the crowd, urging unity in the face of tragedy.

The shooting, carried out by 21-year-old Ryan Palmeter at a Jacksonville Dollar General store, claimed the lives of two Black men and a woman before Palmeter turned the gun on himself.

A manifesto left by the shooter revealed his racist motives, expressing his intent to target Black people. Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters stated that Palmeter “hated Black people.”

Governor DeSantis had condemned the shooter as a “scumbag” and a “coward” for his self-inflicted death.

DeSantis also emphasised that singling out victims based on their race was utterly unacceptable in his response to the attack.