Payton S. Gendron mug shot (Image source: Erie County District Attorney’s Office)
The 19-year-old White man accused of conducting a racially-motivated massacre in Buffalo, New York, pled guilty to over 24 charges on Nov. 28. Gendron entered a guilty plea to 10 counts of first-degree murder, 10 counts of second-degree murder as a hate crime, three counts of attempted murder as a hate crime and other assorted charges, according to USA Today.
On May 14, Gendron killed 10 people inside a Tops grocery store on Buffalo’s east side. The community is a majority Black area and Gendron drove hours to get there. He also wounded three other people in the attack. Gendron had a 180-page manifesto full of conspiracy theories and racist beliefs Black people were inferior to the White race.
The shooter’s plea was scheduled for Nov. 21 but was postponed due to weather. A Buffalo attorney previously said he’s known about Gendron’s plea for weeks now.
Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, New York (Photo credit: Rashad Milligan for rolling out)
Gendron faces a life sentence without parole. He also faces federal hate charges and could receive the death penalty. The alleged shooter was 18 at the time of the attack. He was armed with a semi-automatic AR-15 and live-streamed the shooting on Twitch.
A beloved retired police officer was among those killed in the attack. Court records show Gendron viewed other racially-motivated shootings and communicated with other extremists online before the attack.
