On May 14, an 18-year-old, white gunman allegedly drove 3 hours and opened fire in Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killing ten individuals and injuring three. The gunman is accused of solely killing and hurting based solely on the fact that all the victims are black.

What happened?

The alleged shooting started in Tops Supermarket parking lot and continued until police showed up and convinced him to not comit suicide. The shooting was live streamed on Twitch by the suspected gunman but was taken down two minutes afterward. 

Those who watch believe the shooting was racially motivated especially due to one part of the livestream. In the livestream you can see the suspected shooter point his gun at a white cashier and then proceed to say, “Sorry” and not shoot.

What hate and conspiracy convinced the suspected gunman to do this?

While mass shootings are not new in the United States, much was reported on the shooting due to the signs and social media that traveled months before the shooting. The suspected gunman graduated from high school in June 2021. Soon afterward was taken by police to have a psychiatric evaluation after speaking about murder and suicide which he claimed was a joke. He was released a day later.

The suspected gunman used social media greatly from posting content related to the Great Replacement Theory and having an active private diary on Discord which had the premeditated shooting written. The diary was sent to a few Discord users 30 minutes prior to the alleged shooting.

Police reported that the AR-15 that was used was purchased legally but the magazines used are not authorized for purchase in New York. The suspected gunman is pleading not guilty to charges.

Who were the victims?

Celestine Chaney, Roberta Drury, Andre Mackneil, Katherine Massey, Margus Morrison, Heyward Patterson, Aaron Salter Jr., Geraldine Talley, Ruth Whitfield and Pearl Young all died from the shooting. They ranged from ages 32 to 86 and some have already been laid to rest since.

Information gathered from AP News and New York Times.