Shortly before the shooting on Saturday, the gunman was spotted putting on the tactical vest in a parking lot at Edward Waters University, a small and private historically Black institution.
The guard reported the gunman’s suspicious presence to a nearby sheriff’s deputy, Sheriff Waters said.
In an interview, Sheriff Waters said the gunman did not shoot at one person inside the store who was also white.
“I know for a fact that he did not like Black people,” said Sheriff Waters, who is Black.
On the gunman’s laptop, his family found a last will and testament and a suicide note as part of more than 20 pages of racist writings, Sheriff Waters said in the interview.
Persons:
Sheriff Waters, Edward Waters, ”, texted
Organizations:
Edward Waters University, Office
Locations:
Clay