10 dead in racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo

Tragedy struck again this weekend in the United States with a mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo on May 14, making for 198 mass shootings in the country so far in 2022.

In total, thirteen people were shot, and ten died in the attack. Of the victims, eleven were Black, and two were white, according to police. CNN reported that a spokesperson for Erie County Medical Centre said that two individuals remain hospitalized but in stable condition.

CNN reported that according to two federal law enforcement officials, the suspect drove to the supermarket in the predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo wearing tactical gear and heavily armed.

Law enforcement officials told the press at a news conference that the white man believed to responsible for the attack live-streamed his actions at a Tops Friendly Markets store.

The popular live-streaming platform Twitch confirmed on Saturday that the suspect used the platform to stream the attack as it happened. Twitch says that the suspect has been "indefinitely suspended" from the platform. A spokesperson for Twitch said the company removed the video less than two minutes after the violence started.

A portion of the live-stream obtained by CNN reveals that the shooter gave himself a pep talk just before entering the supermarket, saying,
"Just got to go for it" before pulling into the front of the store.

Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said that the suspect then went on to shoot four individuals in the supermarket's parking lot, of which three died.

The shooter then went into the store and began attacking the customers. The supermarket's security guard on duty was a retired police officer, and he "fired multiple shots at the suspect," however, the suspect's tactical gear offered him protection from the bullets.

Officials report that when the suspect then encountered Buffalo police officers at the front of the store and put his own gun to his neck. However, two police officers talked him out of taking his own life, and the shooter surrendered to the police. The shooter was then arrested by Buffalo police and transported to the police headquarters.

The shooter has been identified as Payton Gendron, age 18. Buffalo City Court Chief Judge Craig Hannah told CNN that Gendron has pleaded not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder, which was brought against him in court on Saturday night.

Photo: Erie County D.A

There have been multiple mass shootings so far this year in the US that authorities say were motivated by hate. Apart from the most recent shooting in Buffalo, there were the attacks at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas; the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh; Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston and the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

The Buffalo mass shooting is being investigated "as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism," according to a statement from US Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The statement also said, "The Justice Department is committed to conducting a thorough and expeditious investigation into this shooting and to seeking justice for these innocent victims."

At the news conference, Stephen Belongia, the special agent in charge of the FBI Buffalo field office, said that the FBI would assist in investigating this terrible crime.

The Mayor of Buffalo, Byron Brown, said in a statement, "This is the worst nightmare that any community can face, and we are hurting, and we are seething right now as a community. The depth of pain that families are feeling and that all of us are feeling right now cannot even be explained."

Tops Friendly Markets released a statement following the shooting: "We appreciate the quick response by local law enforcement and are providing all available resources to assist authorities in the ongoing investigation."

The district attorney's office has said it will do everything possible to make sure they have the best possible charges against the shooter. Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said, "from a state standpoint, it is life without parole, and that's as high as we can go."