Buffalo Shooting Suspect Faces Terrorism Charge

He was also indicted on 10 counts of murder
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 1, 2022 3:02 PM CDT
Buffalo Shooting Suspect Faces Terrorism Charge
Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff visit a memorial near the site of the Buffalo supermarket shooting after attending a memorial service for Ruth Whitfield, one of the victims of the shooting, Saturday, May 28, 2022, in Buffalo, NY.   (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

A grand jury Wednesday charged the white 18-year-old accused of fatally shooting 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket with domestic terrorism motivated by hate and 10 counts of first-degree murder. Payton Gendron, who has been in custody since the May 14 shooting, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Erie County Court, the AP reports.

The suspect had previously been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting, which also injured three people. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors told a judge May 20 the grand jury had voted to indict the suspect but was continuing its investigation. It was unclear whether the finalized indictment contains any new allegations. Federal authorities also are investigating the possibility of hate crime charges against the suspect, who apparently detailed his plans and his racist motivation in hundreds of pages of writings he posted online shortly before the shooting.

The attack was livestreamed from a helmet-mounted camera. The gunman drove about three hours from his home in Conklin, New York, intending to kill as many Black people as possible, investigators have said. His attorney, Brian Parker, said he had not seen the indictment and could not comment, adding that prosecution and defense attorneys have been barred by a judge from discussing the case publicly.

(More Buffalo shooting stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X