BUFFALO, New York (Washington Insider Magazine) – At least ten people were killed and 3 more were injured in a shooting incident at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, that investigators said was fueled by racial hatred.
Police have taken custody of an 18-year-old white male suspect. Investigators said the gunman used social media to live broadcast the crime.
Around 2:30 p.m., a shooter wearing a tactical helmet, military fatigues, and body armor opened fire in the parking area of a Tops supermarket, killing 3 people. He went into the store and was confronted by a veteran Buffalo law enforcement officer who was working security, according to authorities.
According to authorities, the guard fired a shot at the suspect, but it had no effect because of his body armor.
According to authorities, the attacker then shot 9 more individuals inside the supermarket. Officials said he threatened to kill himself before lowering his weapon and surrendering to police.
Authorities said 11 of the 13 victims were African Americans and 2 were white.
According to officials, 4 of the victims of gun violence were store staffers, while the remainder were customers. According to a police official, a Buffalo policeman working security was one of those killed.
Authorities stated three of the victims had non-life threatening bullet wounds.
According to a law enforcement officer, the scene is no more violent and no more suspects are on the loose.
According to Governor Kathy Hochul, the weapon was legally bought but was upgraded with illegal magazines.
According to Erie County District Attorney John Flynn, the suspect, Payton Gendron of Conklin, New York, was arrested on one count of first-degree murder and detained without bail Saturday evening. According to him, his office is also looking into terrorism allegations.
Authorities claimed the man drove several hours from New York county to the Buffalo supermarket.
The FBI is looking into the incident as a hate crime and racially motivated violent extremism separately, reported ABC NEWS.
Early indications suggest the shooter had radical ideologies fostered online, according to law enforcement authorities.
According to the sources, investigators are probing into several internet postings that may have been linked to the gunman, including admiration for South Carolina church gunman Dylann Roof and New Zealand mosque gunman Brenton Tarrant.
Flynn said that there are bits of evidence suggesting racial hostility, but he wouldn’t go into detail at this time in the investigation.
Hochul said the inquiry will be assisted by the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force.
According to police officials and witnesses, the suspect’s residence in Conklin, a small town near Binghamton in Broome County, was raided late Saturday by New York State Police and the FBI. During a news conference, Hochul revealed that a house in Broome County was being raided on Saturday.
Authorities have not revealed which social media site the suspect reportedly used to broadcast the shooting. However, following the incident, Twitch announced that a user had been suspended indefinitely due to the shooting in Buffalo.
The stream was taken down within 2 minutes of the assault beginning, and the company claimed it is screening Twitch for any restreams of the footage or connected content.
The shooting left Tops Friendly Markets “shocked and saddened,” and the company expressed sympathy to the victims and their families in a statement.
Image via ABC News
