2022 Buffalo shooting
Mass shooting in Buffalo, New York / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On May 14, 2022, a mass shooting occurred[14][15] 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.[16][17][18] The shooter, identified as 18-year-old Payton S. Gendron,[5] livestreamed part of the attack on Twitch, but the livestream was shut down by the service in under two minutes.[19] Gendron was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder. He formally entered a plea of "not guilty" on May 19, 2022.[20] On November 28, 2022, Gendron pleaded guilty to all state charges in the shooting, including murder, domestic terrorism, and hate crimes.[8] On February 15, 2023, Gendron was sentenced to 11 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole; as of that date[update], federal charges are still ongoing,[21] and the federal prosecution also expressed their intention to seek the death penalty.[22]
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.[6][7][23][24] Governor Kathy Hochul promised policy changes in the state as a result of the attack while condemning the shooter;[23] shortly afterwards, New York banned most semi-automatic sales to people under 21 and certain types of body armor.[21] 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.[25]