A ‘racially motivated’ shooting at a Buffalo supermarket left at least ten people dead and three more wounded.

Authorities reported ten people were murdered and three others were injured in a “racially motivated” shooting at a store in Buffalo’s primarily Black area.

Officials said the gunman, a Caucasian 18-year-old guy, drove several hours to Buffalo to carry out the attack, which he livestreamed on social media. At a press conference, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia revealed that 11 of the 13 persons shot were black.

After the incident, the culprit was apprehended, according to Gramaglia. Payton Gendron of Conklin, New York, roughly 200 miles southeast of Buffalo, was identified as the suspect, according to two law enforcement authorities. The officials were not allowed to talk publicly about the situation and did so on the condition of anonymity.

Sheriff John Garcia of Erie County remarked, “This was pure wickedness.” “It was a racially motivated hate crime perpetrated by someone from outside our community.”

Residents characterise the grocery, which is roughly three miles north of downtown Buffalo, as being in the core of the city’s Black population. The surrounding neighbourhood is predominantly residential, including residences, a Family Dollar store, barber businesses, a laundromat, and a fire station. Authorities claimed evidence proved the man was racist, but they didn’t specify.
According to Gramaglia, the gunman was dressed in tactical gear and wielded an assault-style weapon. Around 2:30 p.m., he parked outside the Tops Friendly Market.

Three individuals were killed and a fourth was injured when ET opened fire in the parking lot. Gramaglia claimed he then walked inside and continued his rampage.

The shooter was stopped and shot by a retired Buffalo police officer who was working as a security guard inside the business. The gunman was hit, but his tactical gear protected him, according to authorities.

The guard was killed when the shooter returned fire.
Before being apprehended by law authorities near the lobby, the shooter made his way into the store, shooting at others. The shooter had his handgun pointed at his head, according to investigators, and they were able to negotiate his surrender.

“This is the biggest nightmare that any community can endure, and we are in pain and enraged right now,” she said.

At a press conference, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown stated. “The kind of anguish that families and all of us are experiencing right now cannot possibly be described.”
The 2019 shooting in El Paso, Texas, when a gunman admitted to travelling hundreds of miles to target Hispanics at a local Walmart, drew early similarities to the Buffalo massacre and the rapid judgement that the assault was racially motivated. The Texas assault claimed the lives of 23 people. Investigators in the Buffalo case are looking at writings reportedly linked to the gunman that indicate the attack was motivated by hatred, according to a law enforcement officer.

The shooting happened nearly seven years after a racially motivated attack on a historically Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, that killed nine people and sent shockwaves across the country.

“We’re looking into this as a hate crime and a case of racially motivated violent extremism,” said Stephen Belongia, the FBI’s Buffalo field office’s special agent in charge.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has frequently warned of the threat presented by racially motivated violent extremists in the last year, telling Congress that such cases make up the “largest part” of the bureau’s domestic terrorism investigations. Last year, Wray told a Senate committee that the same gang was responsible for the most deadly strikes in the previous decade.

The man was arraigned on first-degree murder charges Saturday evening, according to Erie County District Attorney John Flynn.

Hate crimes are on the rise, and Black and Asian Americans are banding together to say, “Solidarity is the answer.”

The FBI has launched a hate crime investigation after HBCUs were targeted in a “nationwide wave of bomb threats.”

The gunman allegedly used social media to webcast the incident. According to the Associated Press, the tape shows the gunman, clad in military garb, coming up to the front of the store with a weapon on the front seat, aiming the rifle at bystanders in the parking lot as he left the car and opening fire.

According to the official, the video also shows the guy entering into the Shooting at a Shooting at a Buffalo supermarket many additional people.

Authorities were also investigating if he had published a manifesto online, according to the official.

Braedyn Kephart and Shane Hill, both 20, claimed they’d just drove into the store’s parking lot when they witnessed the suspected shooter leave and get apprehended.

“With the rifle to his chin, he stood there.” What the hell was going on, we wondered. Why is this youngster holding a pistol to his head?” According to Kephart. He got down on his knees. “He pulled off his helmet, dropped his rifle, and cops tackled him.”

Police cordoned off the street, which was crowded with onlookers, and yellow police tape encircled the whole parking lot. Late Saturday afternoon, Mayor Byron Brown and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz were on the scene, assembled in a parking lot across the street from the Tops shop.
According to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, President Joe Biden was briefed on the attack and was praying for all who were harmed.

The incident, according to NAACP President Derrick Johnson, was “extremely terrible.””

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the community and all those affected by this awful event.” Hatred and bigotry have no place in the United States of America. We are heartbroken, enraged, and praying for the families and loved ones of the victims “In a statement, he continued.

On Twitter, the Rev. Al Sharpton called on the White House to hold a conference with Black, Jewish, and Asian leaders “to underline the Federal government’s (escalating) efforts against hate crimes.” “All of these communities’ leaders should unite on this!” he continued.

According to her Twitter account, New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated she is “closely watching” the incident and has given support to victims in Buffalo, her hometown.

Buffalo is the second-largest city in New York, with a population of around 278,000 people.