2022 Buffalo shooting
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Coordinates: 42°54'35"N 78°51'10"W
The Tops supermarket in February 2022
Location: 1275 Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Coordinates: 42°54'35"N 78°51'10"W
Date: May 14, 2022
c. 2:30 2:36 p.m. (EDT; UTC−04:00)
Target: African Americans
Attack type: Mass shooting, mass murder, domestic terrorism, right-wing terrorism, hate crime
On May 14, 2022, a mass shooting occurred in Buffalo, New York, United States, at a Tops Friendly Markets supermarket in the East Side neighborhood. Ten people, all of whom were African Americans, were murdered and three were injured. The shooter, identified as 18-year-old Payton S. Gendron, livestreamed part of the attack on Twitch, but the livestream was shut down by the service in under two minutes. Gendron was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder. He formally entered a plea of "not guilty" on May 19, 2022. On November 28, 2022, Gendron pleaded guilty to all state charges in the shooting, including murder, domestic terrorism, and hate crimes. On February 15, 2023, Gendron was sentenced to 11 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole; as of that date, federal charges are still ongoing, and the federal prosecution also expressed their intention to seek the death penalty.
Gendron is reported to have written a manifesto describing himself as an ethno-nationalist and a supporter of white supremacy who is motivated to commit acts of political violence. He voiced support for the far-right "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory in the context of a "white genocide". The attack has been described as an act of domestic terrorism, and it is also being investigated as a hate crime which was motivated by racism. Governor Kathy Hochul promised policy changes in the state as a result of the attack while condemning the shooter; shortly afterwards, New York banned most semi-automatic sales to people under 21 and certain types of body armor. Around March 19, 2024, a New York judge ruled Reddit and YouTube must face lawsuits in connection with the mass shooting over accusations that they played a role in the radicalization of the shooter.
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