Buffalo shooting suspect indicted on hate crimes, gun offenses
FILE – A person pays his respects outside the scene of a shooting at a supermarket, in Buffalo, N.Y., Sunday, May 15, 2022. The Tops Friendly Markets where 13 people were gunned down by a white gunman is set to reopen its doors Thursday, July 14 two months after the racist attack. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
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(NewsNation) — The suspect in the Buffalo, New York, supermarket massacre was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday on 27 counts that include hate crimes and firearms offenses, the U.S. Justice Department announced.
Payton Gendron, 19, of Conklin, New York, was charged with 14 violations of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and 13 firearms offenses in connection with the mass shooting at the Tops Friendly Market, where 10 Black people were killed, and three other people were injured.
The indictment charges that Gendron violated the Shepard-Byrd Act by willfully causing the death of the victims because of their actual and perceived race and color.
The indictment further includes special findings alleging that Gendron committed the offense after substantial planning and premeditation to commit an act of terrorism.
Gendron also faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and 10 counts of second-degree murder in state court.
Upon conviction, the charges in the indictment carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or the death penalty.
“The Justice Department fully recognizes the threat that white supremacist violence poses to the safety of the American people and American democracy. We will continue to be relentless in our efforts to combat hate crimes, to support the communities terrorized by them, and to hold accountable those who perpetrate them.”
Attorney General MERRICK Garland
A moment of silence and prayer was set to be held Thursday at the market to honor the victims, employees and community impacted by the May 14 mass shooting, with a ceremonial reopening of the overhauled store before customers return Friday, the company said.
According to authorities, the then-18-year-old gunman was wearing body armor and carrying a semi-automatic rifle when he opened fire on weekend shoppers and employees.
Investigators say the shooter was motivated by white supremacist beliefs and researched the demographics of the predominantly Black neighborhood where the market is located with the intent of killing as many Black people as possible.
Gendron is currently in state custody pending state criminal charges.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
