By CAROLYN THOMPSON
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The white gunman charged with killing 10 Black folks in a racist mass taking pictures at a Buffalo grocery store pleaded not responsible Monday to federal hate crime fees that could possibly be punishable by the loss of life penalty.
Payton Gendron was indicted final week on hate crimes and weapons counts. The plea was entered in court docket by Gendron’s legal professional, who mentioned she hoped to resolve the case earlier than trial. Wearing an orange jumpsuit and shackles, Gendron was silent in the course of the transient arraignment.
The 27-count federal indictment comprises particular findings, together with that Gendron engaged in substantial planning to commit an act of terrorism and took purpose at susceptible older folks — particularly 86-year-old Ruth Whitfield, 77-year-old Pearl Young, 72-year-old Katherine Massey, 67-year-old Heyward Patterson and 65-year-old Celestine Chaney.
The Justice Department mentioned a call on whether or not to hunt the loss of life penalty in opposition to the shooter, who turned 19 in June, would come later.
Gendron, who livestreamed the May 14 assault, was arrested simply exterior the doorway of the Tops Friendly Supermarket after donning physique armor and opening fireplace on weekend consumers and workers within the car parking zone and inside. Three folks had been wounded.
The retailer reopened to the general public final week, two months after the assault.
Investigators say the shooter drove for greater than three hours from his house in Conklin, New York, to a busy grocery retailer chosen for its location in a predominantly Black neighborhood, with the intent of killing as many Black folks as potential. He was motivated, they mentioned, by white supremacist beliefs which he described in on-line diary entries.
Gendron wrote way back to November about staging a livestreamed assault, practiced taking pictures from his automobile and did reconnaissance on the shop two months earlier than finishing up the plans, in line with the writings.
He arrived on the retailer carrying camouflage clothes and a tactical-style helmet fitted with a video digital camera.
The indictment seeks the forfeiture of an in depth arsenal recovered from Gendron’s automobile and residential. It contains the Bushmaster XM-15 semi-automatic rifle used within the taking pictures and a 12-gauge loaded shotgun and loaded bolt-action rifle and ammunition taken from the automobile. Authorities seized extra ammunition and firearms equipment from his house.
The federal indictment fees Gendron with 10 counts of hate crimes leading to loss of life, three counts of hate crimes involving an try and kill three folks and one other hate crime depend alleging Gendron tried to kill different Black folks in and across the retailer. It additionally contains 13 counts of utilizing a firearm in a hate crime.
Gendron additionally faces a parallel state prosecution on fees together with hate-motivated home terrorism, homicide and tried homicide as a hate crime. The home terrorism hate crime cost carries an automated life sentence. He has pleaded not responsible to these fees as nicely.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”