JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Angela Carr was a 52-year-old Uber driver who was dropping off a passenger at a Jacksonville Dollar General on August 26, 2023, when a gunman shot and killed her inside her vehicle.
One year after her death, Carr's family is still seeking justice and also change.
“We’re getting stronger as a family we’re trying but it’s hard to try to but we’re trying it’s hard without the rock we used to have to be there for us and actually make us whole when we need to be whole," said Vaughn Payne, Carr's son.
Payne is back in Jacksonville from Virginia fighting for justice in the city where his mother died a year ago.
“I get a call from a friend of hers stating she’s not answering the phone," he said recalling that day, "She’s not answering the phone and there was a shooter at the store.”
Later that night, Payne got a call from the police that would forever change his and his siblings' lives.
"The next morning it dawned on us and nothing was the same from that point on. Everything was hard, even to get over things it was hard for me to cope with it at first because I didn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it," said Payne.
"There’s three children of a beautiful woman all suffering in very different ways," said John Phillips, the Carr family attorney.
Phillips has already filed a lawsuit against the parents of the gunman, citing parental negligence claiming the "parents were aware of Palmeter's mental health issues and hatred towards others."
"It’s about accountability the first step of accountability is the shooter and his parents," said Phillips.
A second lawsuit will soon be filed against Dollar General for security measures.
“What happened here was a shooter left two places where he saw security and went to a third where he saw none and that’s why Dollar General is going to be a defendant," he said.
"We can’t just talk. We can’t just thought and prayer our way out of this we got to look deep into what is going on. This is a case of classic systemic racism hate," said Phillips.
While fighting for justice and change, Payne said he feels his mother with him every step of the way.
“She's in my ear telling me don’t mess up and we just have to be better. It makes me strong to even be here and do this," he said.
The Carr's family attorney tells First Coast News he does plan to file more lawsuits in connection to this case, including against the gun manufacturer.