19-year-old Payton Gendron has been sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole, for ten racially motivated murders in Buffalo, New York last year.
SUPERMARKET: This photo was taken the day after the shooting at this supermarket. Photo: Matt Rourke/AP
It was previously expected that Gendron would receive the above sentence for the mass shooting in a supermarket on May 14, 2022.
There is no death penalty in New York state, where Buffalo is located, but he faces the death penalty if he is later convicted on federal charges.
Earlier, in court, Gendron had, among other things, been called “a cowardly racist” by a woman who lost her 86-year-old grandmother during the attack.
Drama in the courtroom
However, the sentencing itself was more dramatic than expected.
ASSAULTED: Accused was attempted to be assaulted by the man in gray tracksuits. Photo: POOL/Derek Gee/Reuters
As Barbara Massey, the sister of one of the victims, explained to the court how the mass shooting has affected her, a man in a gray tracksuit rushed towards the defendant.
The man tried to assault the 19-year-old perpetrator.
However, he was stopped before he could get hold of Gendron, who was led out of the courtroom by security guards.
– I did something horrible
In addition to the 10 people who lost their lives, three people were also injured at Tops Friendly Market, before the killer surrendered to the police.
– He got out of the car and was equipped with a lot of weapons. He had tactical gear and a helmet. He had a camera live streaming the incident, Police Chief Joseph Gramaglia said at a news conference.
THE DEFENDANT: The murders were racially motivated. Photo: POOL/Derek Gee/Reuters
According to the indictment, Gendron explained that he carried out the mass shooting “for the future of the white race”.
In court, he apologized for the murders.
– I did something horrible that day. I shot and killed people because they were black. Looking back on it now, I can’t fathom that I did it. I believed what I read on the internet and reacted out of hate. I can’t redo it now, but I wish I could, Gendron said.
