Buffalo shooter charged with murder as a hate crime, domestic terrorism

Payton Gendron, the man accused of carrying out a racist mass shooting in New York, has been indicted on more than two dozen charges, including a domestic terrorism charge.

The indictment of Payton Gendron

Eerie County Grand jury handed down a 25-page indictment, charging the 18-year-old with carrying out a “domestic act of terrorism motivated by hate”.

Charges against Gendron include 10 counts each of first-degree murder, second-degree murder as a hate crime, three counts of attempted murder as a hate crime, one count of a domestic act of terrorism and criminal possession of a weapon.

The indictment said Gendron fatally shot 10 Black people inside a Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y. on May 14 “because of the perceived race and/or color” of the victims.

In addition to the 10 people killed, three others were injured in the mass shooting.

Arraignment

Gendron has pleaded not guilty.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon at which he is suspected of entering a plea.

The FBI is also conducting an investigation, which the Department of Justice said could lead to federal hate crime and terrorism charges.