Payton Gendron of Conklin has been identified as the Buffalo mass shooting suspect. He has been taken into custody. The incident that happened in New York has devastated the country once more. The 18-year-old Payton has been accused of killing 10 people and injuring 3 at a Tops Friendly supermarket. Here’s everything that you would like to know.
A clip from the live stream on Twitch that is claiming to have been a live stream video of the mass shooting at the Tops Market in #Buffalo, #NewYork. The video is NOT graphic, it shows the moments before the shooting begins. pic.twitter.com/KrlgYgdaFY
— Ice Analytics (@ice_analytics) May 14, 2022
Who is Payton Gendron? Wiki Bio
The 18-year-old Gendron belongs to Conklin, 200-miles southeast of Buffalo, New York. The white boy traveled over 200 miles to execute his planned shooting. He is the oldest of four children of Paul and Pamela Gendron. Both of his parents work for the New York State Department of Transportation as civil engineers.
The neighbor Nancy Santucci told The Reporter Times’ correspondent that they are a nice upper-middle-class family. Per Nancy, they appeared to be regular people and she couldn’t think if one of his neighbors would drive to Buffalo to execute such a racially motivated shooting.
According to Santucci, Gendron graduated from Susquehanna Valley High School in 2021. He recalled that the family threw a big party and decorated the house with balloons. He continued to tell that Gendron had brought home a human-size Brontosaurs that he made for a school project.
What happened at Tops Friendly Supermarket? How did the shooting unfold in Buffalo?
On May 14, 2022, a gunman arrived past 2:30 pm ET and killed at least 10 people while 3 were injured. Out of the 13 people, 4 were employees of Tops Friendly supermarket in Buffalo, New York. It included a recently retired police officer who served as a security guard at the supermarket.
Out of those 13 people, 11 were African Americans as told by sources. Payton Gendron wore military gear – suit, helmet, guns, and carried a rifle with him. Using that rifle, he shot people in the parking lot first. Then, he entered the store and shot a security guard and other people.
Gendron had a camera attached to his body with which he was live streaming the tragic incident on Twitch. When police arrived at the scene, he put his gun on his neck, but police successfully talked him out, and finally arrested him.
Also Read: Shooter Payton Gendron Planned ‘Racially Motivated’ Buffalo Mass Shooting at Tops in Advance?
Has Payton Gendron been charged?
Peyton Gendron is charged with first-degree murder in New York state court. Per officials, it is plausible that he could face federal charges such as hate crimes as well. It’s because the incident looked like a racially motivated hate crime shooting. However, Gendron hasn’t pleaded guilty to the crimes. He could face life in prison without parole, and his next appearance in court is scheduled for Thursday, May 19.
Also Check: Payton Gendron Identified as Suspect of ‘Racially Motivated’ Buffalo Mass Shooting.
What’s next for the investigation?
Police have secured the perimeter and now investigating the ongoing crime scene – both in the parking lot and interior of the Tops store in Buffalo’s supermarket. Several agencies including the Buffalo Police Department, New York state police, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are working together to solve the case at the earliest.
Reportedly, Gendron has planned not to plead guilty to the killings. Payton’s lawyer has confirmed the same. Reports say that the shooter had the n-word on his gun before he started carrying out the massacre.
Two people saw the gunman, Gendron donned in camouflage attire. He had a black helmet and rifle in his hand. The victims have been identified, click to see the details.
“He was standing there with the gun to his chin. We were like what the heck is going on? Why does this kid have a gun to his face?” Braedyn Kephart, a witness, said. He saw the whole action, how Payton dropped to his knees, ripped off his helmet, and dropped the gun. After that, the police came near and tackled him.
A regular shopper said that he knew many of the people who were killed on Saturday. “I lost three people today that I know and talk to five, six times a week. One, a friend of over 30 years, another a friend of 20 years. This is insane,” the man said.
Was the Buffalo shooting racially motivated?
Per officials, the shooting that happened on Saturday in Buffalo can be labeled as a hate crime and domestic extremism incident. Eric County sheriff John Garcia referred it as an act of pure evil and said it was a straight-up racially motivated hate crime.
Police are believed to possess evidence indicating it was a racist motive for the attack. But an alleged manifesto has been found online that links directly to Gendron. The gunman is said to have posted a racist manifesto on the notorious 4chan forum. It is filled with his white supremacist ideas and plans to execute the shooting. It also contains white supremacist ideas about great replacement theory and IQ differences between races.
Per the document, Payton Gendron chose the area because it inhibits a maximum number of Black people nearby. It also states that the shooter got bored and was radicalized during COVID in 2020, and also referred to the Christchurch shooter as inspiration.
What sort of weapon did the alleged shooter use?
The shooter was equipped with tactical gear that included body armor and a military rifle. A security guard present inside the supermarket fired at Payton Gendron, but his armored suit protected him. The bullets couldn’t do any harm to him.
Gendron had brought a legally purchased rifle with illegal modifications done. Governor Hochul said that he could have got his hands on such illegal magazines in nearby states like Pennsylvania.
What are people saying about the shooting?
The officials held a press conference on Saturday. Erie County sheriff John Garcia called the shooting ‘pure evil’. He said the event was a straight-up racially motivated hate crime. Payton Gendron isn’t a native of Buffalo.
A police officer present at the scene said that it was so overwhelming as it looked like a horror movie but in reality. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who belongs to Buffalo, said she is on her way to the scene to assist with the response to today’s shooting. She labeled it as a horrific and despicable act of violence.