Jacksonville, FL, Aug 27 (IANS) At least four people, including a shooter, were killed in a racially motivated shooting at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, the US state of Florida, police said.

Addressing a press conference, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said the victims -- two men and one woman -- were all black people.

The suspect, a white male in his early 20s, was armed with a high-powered rifle and a handgun, wearing a tactical vest, Xinhua new agency reported quoting police.

"This shooting was racially motivated and he hated black people," Waters told reporters.

Before the shooting, the shooter had authored "several manifestos," detailing his hatred for black people, Waters said.

The suspect, who shot himself after the attack, was believed to have acted alone and no evidence suggested that he was part of a large group, according to police.

The shooting happened blocks away from Edward Waters University, a historically black college, where students living on campus were told to stay in their residence halls.

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan also called the shooting a hate crime.