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On July 14, a federal grand jury charged 19-year-old Payton Gendron for his alleged role in a Tops Friendly Market store mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. He was indicted on 27 firearm and hate crime counts.
Payton Gendron allegedly carried out the attack on May 14, 2022, with legal weapons, killing 10 people and injuring 3 others. Law enforcement believes that the attack was racially motivated and the teen is accused of being an ethno-nationalist with white supremacist links.
The same was outlined by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in an official statement which said:
“Today, a grand jury has indicted Payton Gendron with hate crime and firearms offenses following the horrific attack on the Black community of Buffalo that killed 10 people and injured three others on May 14, 2022."
According to the indictment, Gendron may have specifically targeted the supermarket as it is known to cater to many African American customers.
The charges against him include 10 counts of fatal hate crime and one count of hate crime for allegedly seeking to Black people in and around the store. He also has 13 counts of discharging a firearm in connection to his hate crime.
Is Payton Gendron a white supremacist?
The police recovered a political manifesto where Payton Gendron expressed his belief in the far-right. The self-proclaimed white supremacist also believes the theory that caucasians are under threat of genocide by minorities.
The official indictment describes how Gendron's alleged belief in the threat of white genocide supposedly led him to commit the massacre. It said:
“Gendron’s motive for the mass shooting was to prevent Black people from replacing white people and eliminating the white race, and to inspire others to commit similar attacks."
Garland confirmed that authorities had linked Payton Gendron to the white supremacist cause and stated:
“The Justice Department fully recognizes the threat that white supremacist violence poses to the safety of the American people and American democracy."
The attorney added:
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.”
According to authorities, Gendron also etched racist slogans on his weapons, including the term "Here's your reparations!" The arrest affidavit also lists further indications that the teen was linked to the white supremacist cause.
As per the affidavit, the shooter is accused of writing in his manifesto:
"(I must) commit this attack (because I care for) the future of the white race."
On an undisclosed date, it will be determined whether or not Gendron will receive the death penalty, according to some reports. According to the defendant's attorneys, the decision as to whether or not he will be executed may take up to a year.
