White Supremacist Mass Shooter Pleads Guilty in Buffalo Market Massacre
The domestic terrorist who wore body armor and a helmet-mounted camera to livestream his attack on shoppers at a Buffalo grocery store pleaded guilty to multiple charges from the mass shooting.
Shooter Payton Gendron, pleaded guilty to 15 charges, including domestic terrorism motivated by hate, murder, and attempted murder. The guilty plea carries a mandatory life sentence in prison. The white supremacist could be subject to the death penalty, facing 26 additional federal charges.
Gendron, who killed ten and wounded three during his rampage that was designed to kill as many Black people as possible, wanted to use the attack to help preserve white rule in the U.S. According to the AP Gendron had written extensively about his plans and had even conducted a reconnaissance mission to a different grocery store.
The Reverend Al Sharpton spoke out about the shooter’s guilty plea, saying that the boldness with which hateful individuals carry out their terror is troubling. Sharpton, who is Founder and President of the National Action Network released a statement explaining his thoughts about the guilty plea. Sharpton said, “You cannot litigate a justification for white supremacy. His decision to plead guilty will deliver the families some justice, but it will not end the racism that drove him to kill in the first place. That horrific day was the byproduct of a white supremacy so blatant that its followers don’t hide under a hood — they livestream their hate for everyone to see.”
Attorney and activist Ben Crump held a media conference with the victims’ and survivors’ families. Calling the killer a “devilish thug,” Crump demanded that the shooter
“Get the harshest sentence possible.”
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Gendron was 18 at the time he committed the terror attack. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 15, 2023.
