At least 10 have been killed in a shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, local police said Saturday.
The incident is being investigated as both a hate crime and a case of racially motivated violent extremism, according to law enforcement.
The alleged shooter is in custody, police said Saturday during a press conference following the mass shooting around 2:30 p.m. both inside and outside the Jefferson Avenue Tops Markets, about five kilometres north of downtown Buffalo.
“This was pure evil. This was straight-up a racially motivated hate crime from someone outside of the city,” said Erie county sheriff, John Garcia.
The supermarket is in a predominately Black neighborhood. The surrounding area is primarily residential, with a Family Dollar store and fire station close by.
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Out of the 13 victims, 11 were Black and two were white while the shooter is white, police said during the press conference.
He was dressed in tactical gear and armed with a rifle. The police said he appears to be from a county near New York State hours away from Buffalo. The shooter livestreamed the incident, according to police.
Upon arrival, the shooter, an 18-year-old male, shot four in the parking lot. Three died and one survived.
The shooter then went inside the store and opened fire. One of the deceased inside the Tops supermarket was a retired police officer, according to Buffalo’s police commissioner.
The suspect put the gun to his own neck before Buffalo police convinced him to put it down and took him into custody.
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“We have suffered a mass shooting with multiple casualties,” said Buffalo Mayor, Byron Brown.
“Many of us know this supermarket very well. Many of us know some of those who are victims of this horrific crime. This is the worst nightmare that any community can face, and we are hurting and we are seething right now. There is no comfort at this time,” he said.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,” Tops Markets said.
“Our top priority remains the health and well-being of our associates and customers. We appreciate the quick response of local law enforcement and are providing all available resources to assist authorities in the ongoing investigation.”
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Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted that she was “closely monitoring the shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo,” her hometown. She said state officials have offered help to local authorities.
The shooting came little more than a year after a March 2021 attack at a King Soopers grocery in Boulder, Colorado, that killed 10 people. Investigators have not released any information about why they believe the man charged in that attack targeted the supermarket.
– With files from the Associated Press
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