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Enraged Black Man Targets Whites

An enraged black man, Ronald Taylor, sets out on a rampage targeting whites in Pittsburgh.

This time, the gunman was black.

"I'm not going to hurt any black people," 39-year-old Ronald Taylor reportedly told a black neighbor as he set out on a March 2 rampage near Pittsburgh that left three white men dead and two critically injured. "I'm just out to kill white people."

He has been charged with murder and hate crimes in the attacks.

It was a variation on a familiar theme in contemporary American life: the disgruntled, middle-aged man — usually white — violently venting his rage. Once again, the incident showed that hate crime is not limited to any one group.

In a four-page message intended as a suicide note, Taylor tried to explain his motives. "As long as the system remains racist white and racist Jew, black people will never overcome," he wrote.

"I get fed up with doctors treating black patients differently from whites in terms of unfairness, unequally, and like dirt."

Taylor's racially fueled anger was apparent during the shooting spree, which began at his apartment complex and ended at a McDonald's Restaurant.

"Racist pig!" he allegedly screamed at one victim. "I think I'll terrorize you for awhile."