Shooting in Buffalo in the United States: what we know about this racist massacre which left at least ten dead

At least ten people were shot dead on Saturday May 14 in a grocery store in Buffalo, New York (northeastern United States) by an armed man who was arrested.

In a statement, US President Joe Biden denounced the attack, recalling that « any act of domestic terrorism, including an act perpetrated in the name of a repugnant white nationalist ideology, is contrary to everything we stand for in America ».

In 2021, firearms killed nearly 45,000 people in the United States, including about 24,000 suicides, according to the organization Gun Violence Archive.

What are the facts ?

According to Commissioner Gramaglia, the killer first shot four people in the parking lot of the Tops supermarket in Buffalo, killing three of them, before entering the business and committing carnage there. There, a security guard, a retired policeman, shot the assailant but the latter, protected by his bulletproof vest, was not injured and shot the guard.

When the police arrived very quickly on the scene, the young man turned his weapon against him, at the level of his neck, before surrendering to the police, according to Commissioner Gramaglia. « It’s like being in a horror movie, but everything is real, » a police officer told reporters on the spot.

According to the mayor of Buffalo, an African-American, Byron Brown, the killer traveled several hours to commit his crime.

Who is the murderer ?

The 18-year-old killer’s name is Payton Gendron. He was heavily armed and was immediately arrested on the spot. Initially prosecuted, he was arrested for « premeditated murder » and imprisoned. It is about a young white man who was equipped with an « assault weapon », a bulletproof vest, a military type outfit, a helmet and a camera to broadcast his crime live on the internet, announced the local police and judicial authorities.

Who are the victims ?

Buffalo Police Chief Joseph Gramaglia said « ten people were killed » and three others injured. Eleven were black people and two were white, in this predominantly African-American neighborhood of Buffalo.

Is this a racist killing?

“We are investigating this incident as both a hate crime and a case of racially motivated violent extremism,” Buffalo FBI Police Officer Stephen Belongia said at a press conference.

American media have mentioned a « manifesto » of a racist nature broadcast on the internet. According to New York Timesciting this « manifesto », the suspect was « inspired » by crimes committed by white supremacists, including the 2019 massacre of 51 worshipers at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The attack is « a hate crime and racially motivated » perpetrated by « evil incarnate, » blasted Erie County Sheriff John Garcia. « Hate crime » in the United States refers to an act directed against a targeted person because of elements of their identity such as race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation or disability.

The newspaper buffalo news even revealed that an offensive, racist and taboo word in the United States to designate black people had been painted in white on the barrel of the weapon. It is an « excruciating killing by a white supremacist, » New York State Governor Kathy Hochul thundered on Twitter.

Have the images been released?

The assailant, who was carrying a camera, began to broadcast his crime on the Twitch platform, which declared itself « devastated » and promised « zero tolerance against all forms of violence ». According to the social network, the content was deleted « two minutes » after it began to be broadcast, the attacker’s account was « permanently suspended » and « all accounts likely to repost this content are under surveillance ».