Status: 05/15/2022 01:43 a.m
At least ten people have been killed in a shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. Police are investigating a hate crime.
After the gun attack that killed ten in Buffalo, New York, the FBI is investigating suspected racist motives. “We are investigating both a hate crime case and a violent racially motivated extremism case,” Buffalo FBI investigator Stephen Belongia said at a news conference.
An armed attacker opened fire in a grocery store, killing at least ten people. Three others were injured, police said.
“Certain evidence” points to a racist act
The attacker stormed into the Tops Friendly Market in a mostly black neighborhood in Buffalo and apparently streamed the attack live on the Internet, investigators said.
The video shows how he got out with the gun on the passenger seat in front of the supermarket and opened fire in the parking lot. He shot other victims inside the store. The investigator said they are investigating whether he also posted some kind of manifesto on the Internet.
According to police, the 18-year-old white attacker was heavily armed. He was wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet. There is “certain evidence” that points to a racist act. The majority of the victims were black. According to initial findings, the shooter acted alone. According to prosecutors, he faces life imprisonment for murder. Accordingly, the attacker shot with a rifle.
Perpetrators not from the community
The supermarket is located several miles north of downtown Buffalo in an area primarily populated by black people. “Why does a white man come here and shoot in a black supermarket,” a local resident said on local television. A police officer described the crime scene in The Buffalo News newspaper: “It’s like stepping into a horror movie, but it’s all real.”
The perpetrator was not from the community, Mayor Byron Brown said. “The shooter traveled hours from outside of this community to commit this crime against the people of Buffalo.”
The man was taken into custody immediately after the crime. “What began as a beautiful day in the city of Buffalo has turned into a terrible day. A day that breaks the heart of every member of our community,” Brown said. The 18-year-old turned the gun on himself when police arrived at the scene, but police said he was eventually persuaded to surrender.
Biden and First Lady pray for Buffalo victims
US President Joe Biden expressed his condolences. The act was “terrible,” it said from the White House. “The President and First Lady are praying for the victims and their families.” The White House said Biden had been briefed on the incident by his homeland security adviser and will continue to be kept informed.
Governor: Buffalo shooting is terrorism
The governor of the state of New York has described the fatal shooting in Buffalo as terrorism. The perpetrator is a right-wing extremist who committed a “terrorist act,” Kathy Hochul said at a press conference. She sincerely hopes that this person who just committed a hate crime will spend the rest of their days behind bars. Hochul also took issue with social networks that need stricter regulation. There right-wingers would spread their ideologies and get almost intoxicated.