The 18-year-old suspect has been charged with 10 hate crimes leading to death, three hate crimes involving bodily harm, 10 charges of using firearms to commit murder during and in connection with a violent crime and three counts of use and firing a firearm in case of a violent crime, on a criminal complaint.
The complaint, filed by prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, states that “Hendron’s motive for the mass shooting was to prevent blacks from replacing whites and eliminating whites, and to inspire others to carry out similar attacks “
Hendron, who is White, is accused of shooting 13 people between the ages of 20 and 86 at the Tops Friendly Market on May 14. Eleven are black and two are white, Buffalo police said.
The US Department of Justice is investigating the shooting “as a hate crime and an act of racially motivated violent extremism,” according to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
On June 1, a grand jury in New York returned a 25-point indictment against Gendron. He faces 10 counts of first-degree murder, 10 counts of second-degree murder as a hate crime and three counts of attempted murder as a hate crime, according to court documents. According to court documents, Hendron is also facing charges of internal terror and weapons. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The suspect arrived at the supermarket on the afternoon of May 14, heavily armed and wearing tactical equipment – including a tactical helmet and armored armor, police said. There was also a camera that broadcast his actions live.
Using an assault weapon, the attacker shot dead four people outside a grocery store, killing three, authorities said.
When he entered the store, he exchanged fire with an armed guard, who authorities say is a retired police officer from Buffalo. The security guard died from his injuries. The suspect shot eight more people in the store, six of whom died.
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