Saturday an 18-year-old white racist shot 13 people and killed ten at a supermarket in Buffalo, NY. Payton Gendron (18) live-streamed the shooting spree on the social media platform Twitch. The video was removed minutes later. He was later arrested without incident and charged with first-degree murder.
Of the 13 victims, ten were killed and 11 of the victims were Black and elderly. US Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Department of Justice was “Investigating the mass shooting as a hate crime and act of racially motivated violent extremism”. Gendron was heavily armed and wore tactical gear according to Buffalo Police Commissioner, Joseph Gramaglia. In a 180-page hate-filled manifesto, Gendron outlined his plan along with his belief that white people were being replaced by other races.
Gendron, in his manifesto, said he was not mentally ill. In great detail, he wrote how he planned the shooting since January but had been preparing for years prior, buying ammunition, and tactical gear, and practicing his shooting skills. With a hand-drawn map of the supermarket, he goes on to share that he chose the Tops Friendly Market store because it was located in a majority Black zip code within driving distance to his home.
Gendron followed many white supremacists’ websites and online platforms and believed in “The Great Replacement”, a theory regurgitated by white supremacists that says white populations are being replaced by non-whites. In an interview with CNN, Buffalo Police Chief Gramaglia said Gendron planned to continue his killing spree possibly heading to other stores with the intent to kill more black people had he not been caught.
Gendron remains in custody without bail. If convicted, he faces life in prison. Further charges could be forthcoming if this mass murder is labeled a hate crime.
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