10 Killed, 3 Wounded in Racially Motivated Mass Shooting in Buffalo

Ten people have died and three others wounded in a racially motivated mass shooting at a Top’s supermarket on the east side of Buffalo.

The suspected gunman, 18-year-old Payton S. Gendron, allegedly published a 180-page document to the anonymous message board 4chan before carrying out the attack. The pages repeat the ideology of the “great replacement” in an attempt to justify his targeting of African Americans.

Gendron traveled over 200 miles from Conklin, New York, to carry out the attack the day prior. In his manifesto, he says that where the supermarket is in Buffalo is the ZIP code which has the “highest black percentage that is close enough to where I live.” The ZIP code for the surrounding community, 14208, has a 78% Black population.

On Saturday afternoon, Gendron began streaming on Twitch as he began shooting. The stream ended less than two minutes before it began, with an alleged 22 viewers. The video has circulated on other social media platforms.

Retired Buffalo Police Officer Aaron Salter Jr. worked as a security guard at the supermarket and attempted to disarm Gendron. Salter and Gendron exchanged gunfire but Gendron was not hurt due to the tactical gear he was wearing. Gendron fatally shot Salter.

Gendron then shot four people in the parking lot, three of those shots fatal before continuing to shoot at customers in the store. Police cornered him in the vestibule of the store, where Gendron then pointed a gun at his neck. Police were able to talk him into surrendering before they arrested him.

Of the 13 people shot, 11 were Black.

In a written statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland stated the Justice Department is “investigating this matter as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism.”