According to the Huffington Post, “Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones (D) declared that Americans “don’t have to live this way” and slammed “asinine” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday following a deadly Jacksonville store shooting that a local sheriff described as a “racially motivated” attack. The comments from Jones, one of the two Black members of the “Tennessee Three,” arrive after a white man shot and killed three Black people at a Dollar General store in a predominantly Black neighborhood on Saturday before killing himself.
“I want to say to the people of America, do not accept thoughts and prayers from one of these politicians in Florida who have passed this proliferation of guns in their community,” he said.“That is unacceptable. We need to hold them accountable.” Jones said.
Jones’ remarks went after the GOP presidential candidate DeSantis, who has backed permitless concealed carry legislation criticized by Democrats and gun safety advocates. Jones was expelled from Tennessee’s GOP-led state legislature in April for joining protesters’ chants in support of gun control efforts after six people were killed at a Nashville school shooting.
Jones, on Saturday, said, “Whether it’s a school – a Nashville private school – or whether it’s a Dollar General in Jacksonville, Florida, this terrorism that we’re living under is a policy choice we made to appease extremists, gun extremists in the gun lobby and we need to call it out for what it is,”.
The Governor has also already asked for federal aid for hurricanes Florida might have, while offering victims of the shooting information about his debate performance.