A teenage gunman in military uniform and live-streamed with a helmet opened fire with an assault rifle at a Buffalo, New York supermarket, which authorities described as “violent extremism with motives”. race,” killing 10 people and injuring three others Saturday before he surrendered, authorities said.
Police officials said the 18-year-old gunman, who was white, was wearing armor and military-style clothing when he lunged and opened fire on people at the Friendly Market at the top, the shooting being broadcast over the air. a camera mounted on a man’s helmet. .
“He got out of his car. He was armed with a lot of weapons. He had tactical gear. He wore a tactical helmet. He had a camera to stream what he was doing. he’s doing,” City Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said at a news conference afterward.
Gramaglia said the gunman initially shot four people outside the store, three people died. Inside the store, a retired Buffalo police security guard fired several times at the gunman and wounded him, but the bullet hit the gunman’s bulletproof vest and had no effect, Gramaglia added. The commissioner said the gunman then killed the security guard.
The video also captured the suspect as he entered the supermarket, where he shot several other victims inside, according to authorities.
Police said 11 of the victims were Black and two white. The supermarket is located in a predominantly Black residential area a few miles (km) north of downtown Buffalo.
“This is the worst nightmare any community can face, and we’re traumatized and we’re boiling right now,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said at the meeting. newspaper. “The depth of pain that families are feeling and all of us are feeling right now cannot even be explained.”
Gramaglia said Buffalo police entered the store and confronted the gunman in the vestibule.
“At that point, the suspect held a gun to his neck. Buffalo police officers – two patrol officers – told the suspect to drop the gun. He dropped the gun, removed some of his tactical equipment, his head goods at that time. And he was led outside, put into a police car,” he said.
Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. Officials are not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and did so on condition of anonymity.
Dressed in a hospital gown, Gendron was charged in court Saturday night with first-degree murder and ordered to be remanded in custody without bail. Another trial is scheduled for next week.
At an earlier press conference, Erie County Sheriff John Garcia bluntly called the shooting a hate crime.
“This is a total crime,” Garcia said.
In a separate development, NAACP President Derrick Johnson issued a statement in which he called the shooting “absolutely devastating.”
“Our hearts go out to the community and to all who have been affected by this terrible tragedy. Hate and racism have no place in America. We are heartbroken, deeply angry. and pray for the victim’s family and loved ones,” he added.
Separately, Father Al Sharpton called on the White House to convene a meeting with Blacks, Jews and Asians “to emphasize that the Federal government (is) escalating its efforts to combat hate crimes.” In a tweet, Sharpton said that “the leaders of all these communities should stand together on this issue!”
The shooting comes just over a year after the March 2021 attack at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, that left 10 people dead. Investigators have not released any information as to why they believe the man charged in that attack targeted the supermarket.
At the scene in Buffalo on Saturday afternoon, police cordoned off an entire block, spectators lined up, and police officers in yellow vests surrounded the parking lot.
Witnesses Braedyn Kephart and Shane Hill, both 20, pulled into the parking lot just as the shooter was out. They described him as a Caucasian male in his late or early twenties, wearing full camo clothing, a black helmet and what appeared to be a rifle.
“He was standing there with a gun to his chin. We were like what the hell is going on? Why is this kid holding a gun to his face?” Kephart said. He knelt down. “He tore off his helmet, dropped his gun, and was dealt with by the police.”
Tops Friendly Markets released a statement saying, “We are shocked and deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. surname.”
At the White House, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden is receiving regular updates on the shooting and the investigation and has been praying with the first lady for the victims and loved ones. their loved ones.
“The President was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser regarding the horrific shooting in Buffalo, NY this afternoon. He will continue to receive updates throughout the evening and tomorrow.” as more information becomes available,” she said.
Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said Attorney General Merrick Garland was notified of the shooting.
More than two hours after the shooting, Erica Pugh-Mathews was waiting outside the store, behind the police tape.
“We wanted to know the condition of my aunt, my mother’s sister. She was there with her fiancé, they were separated and went different paths,” she said. “A bullet barely hit him. He could hide in the freezer but couldn’t get to my aunt and didn’t know where she was. We just wanted to tell somehow if she was okay. .”
