Buffalo shooting – live: Biden says ‘white supremacy will not have the last word’ after visiting victims

Ten people are dead and a suspect is in custody after a gunman with a rifle and body armour opened fire at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York on 14 May, believed to be one of the deadliest racist massacres in recent American history, and the deadliest mass shooting in the US in 2022.

The shooting took place at Tops Friendly Market in the 1200 block of Jefferson Avenue in the state’s second-largest city, in a predominantly Black neighbourhood that authorities believe the suspect had specifically targeted. Thirteen people in total were shot. Among the victims, 11 were Black.

Close-up shots from a video of Saturday’s attack, which police say was filmed by the gunman himself, show the N-word and the number 14 — a known white supremacist code — written on the barrel of the gun in white paint.

A “manifesto” has been found online, connected to the 18-year-old suspect Payton Gendron, that references racist and white nationalist tropes and far-right conspiracy theories.

President Joe Biden arrived in Buffalo on Tuesday to “grieve” with the community and delivered remarks where he called Saturday’s attack “straightforward terrorism”.

“Hate will not prevail, white supremacy will not have the last word,” he said during a speech at a Buffalo community centre.

Key Points

• Biden: ‘White supremacy will not have the last word’

• Biden and first lady arrive in Buffalo to comfort mourning families

• Suspect gunman planned killing ‘more Black people’, authorities say

• What we know so far about the Buffalo mass shooting

• Tributes honour Black community leaders killed in massacre

ICYMI: The problem with Biden’s speech about the Buffalo shooter

19:39 , Josh Marcus

“I don’t want to unite with people that want me dead.”

That’s the argument from our Voices columnist Michael Arceneaux, who wrote yesterday that “responding to a racist massacre with a call for unity not only misses the mark, but is a waste of the power of the presidency.”

Here’s his full piece.

The big problem with Biden’s speech about the Buffalo shooter

Tech platforms' role in mass killings

19:14 , Johanna Chisholm

The self-described white supremacist gunman who killed 10 people, most of them Black, at a Buffalo supermarket Saturday had mounted a GoPro camera to his helmet to stream his assault live on Twitch, the video game streaming platform used by another shooter in 2019 who killed two people at a synagogue in Halle, Germany.

He had previously outlined his plan in a detailed but rambling set of online diary entries that were apparently posted publicly ahead of the attack, although it’s not clear how may people might have seen them.

Continue reading the full story on The Independent to see how social media companies can play a role in modern day mass shootings.

Carnage, livestreamed: Tech platforms' role in mass killings

Schumer sends letter to Fox News asking network to stop amplifying ‘Great Replacement’ theory

19:00 , Josh Marcus

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a letter to Fox News executives urging them to stop amplifying the “Great Replacement theory” after a shooting in Buffalo, New York left 10 people dead.

Mr Schumer, who represents New York in the US Senate, sent the letter to Fox Corporation chairman Ruper Murdoch, executive chairman and chief executive Lachlan Murdoch, Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott and president and executive editor Jay Wallace asking them to “cease and desist” amplifying the “Great Replacement” theory.

The racist theory postulates that Democrats and other shadowy elites, including Jewish people, want to supplant white Americans with Hispanic voters and other immigrants of colour.

Eric Garcia has the full story.

Payton Gendron cased Tops market days ahead and had plans for longer rampage, according to police

18:40 , Josh Marcus

Payton Gendron, the 18-year-old white supremacist charged with killing 10 people over the weekend at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York, had plans for an even longer rampage, according to police.

"We have uncovered information that if he escaped the [Tops] supermarket, he had plans to continue his attack," Buffalo police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia told ABC News. "He had plans to continue driving down Jefferson Ave. to shoot more Black people ... possibly go to another store [or] location."

Eleven of the 13 victims of the shooting were Black.

The alleged shooter began laying groundwork for the hate-filled attack began days before.

Mr Gendron reportedly visited the Tops store on 8 March, nearly a week before the shooting, where he made detailed sketches of the store’s layout and was confronted by a security guard.

Then, a day before the shooting, he dropped off extra boxes of ammunition at a mobile home belonging to longtime friend Matthew Casado, 19, claiming he was rearranging his house and needed extra space.

Mr Casado was at work at the time, and his roomates let Mr Gendron in.

The two had known each other since elementary school, and Mr Casado, who is Hispanic, told ABC he never thought of his friend as racist until the shooting.

“Up until Saturday when I got the news, I always thought he was a kind harmless person. He never stuck out to me as dangerous. He never stuck out to me as racist,” he said.

Schumer: Fox News must cease ‘reckless amplification’ of replacement theory

18:26 , Josh Marcus

In a damning letter sent by Chuck Schumer and addressed to the executives of Fox News, the Senate Majority Leader called out the network to “immediately cease the reckless amplification of the so-called ‘great replacement’ theory” on their broadcasts.

The letter, first published by The New York Times, begins by addressing “Rupert Murduch et al” and asks that the executives do a serious audit of the content being aired on their network, particularly as it relates to “this pernicious theory , which has no basis in fact” and “has been injected into the mainstream thanks in large part to a dangerous level of amplification by your network and its anchors”.

The letter goes onto cite specific instances where the people behind some of the most violent and hateful mass shootings in recent US history have cited this theory, including the white man who killed 11 worshipers in a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018 and “who blamed Jews for allowing immigrant ‘ invaders’ into the United States” and the 2019 mass shooting where a man who had expressed anger towards Hispanics in Texas went into an El Paso Walmart and killed 23 people.

Sen Charles Schumer

Schumer also cited a recent AP poll that found that people who watch Fox News are three times more likely to believe the dangerous rhetoric that “a group of people is trying to replace native-born Americans with immigrants for electoral gains”.

The letter was signed by the Democratic lawmaker, with a closing “CC: Tucker Carlson”, who he also discussed higher up in the letter, noting that a New York Times investigation had uncovered that his show alone accounted for a good chunk of the dangerous theory being aired on the network as it was discussed more than 400 times on his weekly Fox programme.

Biden delivers remarks in Buffalo on racist attack

17:35 , Johanna Chisholm

US President Joe Biden addressed the nation following a visit with victims of the Buffalo mass shooting family members on Tuesday, where he and first lady Jill Biden expressed their deepest sympathies for those who are suffering “the pain ... of a loss that’s so profound”.

“[A] days gonna come, it will come when your loved one brings you a smile as you remember him or her, before it brings a tear to your eye,” he said before commemorating each of the 10 people’s lives “cut short in a grocery store”.

“In America, hate will not prevail and white supremacy will not have the last word,” the president said, before directly calling the attack “terrorism ... domestic terrorism”.

“A hate that through the media, politics ... radicalised people” he said, adding that people falsely believed that they’ll “be replaced by the other, by people who don’t look like them” referencing the great replacement theory that was cited by the gunman accused of carrying out Saturday’s deadly attack.

“I call on all Americans to reject the lie and condemn those who spread the lie for power and political gain and profit. That’s what it is,” he said, before saying “white supremacy is a poison”.

Watch live here.

Watch: Bidens arriving in Buffalo to pay tribute to victims

17:32 , Johanna Chisholm

Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive at the scene of the Buffalo memorial set up to honour the 10 people who were killed and the three who were injured by an armed gunman on Saturday in what is now the most lethal racist attack since the US president took office.

He’s expected to deliver remarks while visiting the New York city rocked by the violent actions of a white supremacist who targeted Black people with an assault rifle at a supermarket.

The president is expected to directly address gun restrictions and to urge Americans to reject racism and embrace the nation’s diversity, the White House said.

Biden to deliver remarks in Buffalo and condemn mass shooting

17:05 , Johanna Chisholm

US President Joe Biden arrived in Buffalo on Tuesday with First Lady Jill Biden, where the pair walked hand-in-hand to the makeshift memorial just outside the Buffalo, New York supermarket that was the site of the racist attack where 10 people died at the hands of a white supremacist mass shooter.

The president will also be meeting with first reponders, community members and the families of the victims who lost their lives during Saturday’s attack.

Afterwards, he’ll also be delivering remarks at a 1pm ET speech in the New York city, during which he’s expected to label the violent attack as a “despicable act” and to call it out “for what it is: “Terrorism motivated by a hateful and perverse ideology that tears at the soul of our nation”.

Continue reading the full story from The Independent below.

Bidens pay respects to Buffalo shooting victims ahead of speech

In photos: President Joe Biden and first lady pay their respects to victims

16:17 , Johanna Chisholm

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived in Buffalo on Tuesday to pay their respects to the victims of Saturday's shooting at a memorial across the street from the Tops supermarket where a gunman unleashed a racist attack on shoppers in the supermarket and killed 10 people while wounding at least three.

Biden and first lady arrive in Buffalo to comfort mourning families

15:58 , Johanna Chisholm

US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived in Buffalo, New York on Tuesday to meet with community leaders and the families of victims of the mass shooting that killed 10 people and wounded three.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier this week that the couple will be in the city to “comfort the families of the 10 people whose lives were senselessly taken in this horrific shooting. And they will express gratitude for the bravery of members of law enforcement and other law enforcement members who took immediate action to try and protect and save lives”.

The US president is expected to deliver remarks at 1pm ET.

CNN reporter breaks down while covering Buffalo shooting

15:00 , Johanna Chisholm

CNN anchor Victor Blackwell was unable to hold back tears as he reported live from outside the supermarket in Buffalo, New York, where 10 people were killed in a racial massacre.

Blackwell choked up and broke down after he talked to one of the eyewitnesses of the shooting who said she had taught her daughter to “become small and invisible” while preparing her for such incidents in the past.

“I’ve done 15 of these. At least the ones I can count,” Blackwell said to his colleague Alisyn Camerota back in the studio.

“And we keep having the conversation about Democrats will say guns, Republicans will say mental health and nothing will change. And I’ll probably do another one this year,” he added, his voice shaking.

Continue reading the full story from The Independent below.

CNN reporter breaks down live on air while reporting on Buffalo shooting

New Zealand shooting survivor says violence achieved nothing

14:00 , Johanna Chisholm

If the Buffalo supermarket shooter had learned anything from the massacre in New Zealand that apparently inspired him, it should have been that the violence didn’t achieve any of the gunman’s aims, a survivor said Tuesday.

Temel Atacocugu was shot nine times when a white supremacist opened fire during Friday prayers at two mosques in Christchurch three years ago, killing 51 worshippers and severely injuring dozens more. Mr Atacocugu continues to recover from the gunshot wounds in his mouth, left arm and both legs.

One of the stated aims of the Christchurch gunman was to sow discord between racial and ethnic groups, eventually forcing nonwhite people to leave. But if anything, the opposite happened as Muslims and non-Muslims embraced each other in a shared and enduring grief.

“Violence does not solve the problem. They should see that. People, including the extremists, should see that violence does not fix anything,” he said. “Peace will fix it. They have to learn to talk with people around them, too.”

Continue reading the full story on The Independent below.

New Zealand shooting survivor says violence achieved nothing

Gunman named Sadiq Khan on ‘enemy kill list’ in white supremacist manifesto

13:00 , Johanna Chisholm

London mayor Sadiq Khan was named by Buffalo shooting suspect Payton Gendron on a list of enemies he wanted dead.

Gendron, 18, is accused of shooting dead 10 people at a supermarket in the US city in New York state on Saturday.

Read the full story here:

Buffalo gunman listed Sadiq Khan on ‘enemy kill list’ in white supremacist manifesto

Buffalo shooting victim killed while picking up cake for grandson’s birthday

11:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The 10 individuals killed by a white supremacist during a mass shooting at a Tops grocery store in Buffalo have been identified, including Andre Mackniel, who was picking up a cake for his grandson’s birthday.

Mr Mackneil had travelled 120 miles from his home to be present for his grandson’s birthday when he was targetted by a white supremacist mass shooter at the grocery store.

Read the full story by Graig Graziosi here:

Buffalo shooting victim killed while picking up cake for grandson’s birthday

Arizona state senator slammed for Buffalo shooting comments

10:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The Arizona Senate on Monday opened an ethics investigation into a Republican member who tweeted inflammatory comments about last weekend’s racist attack at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket that left 10 people dead.

Read the full story here:

Arizona state senator slammed for Buffalo shooting comments

Buffalo gunman’s family say he snapped due to Covid isolation and paranoia

09:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Family of the Buffalo supermarket gunman has said that the teen snapped because of the “paranoia and isolation” of the Covid pandemic.

In an interview with the New York Post, relatives confessed that they had no idea that 18-year-old Payton Gendron was an alleged white supremacist. They also said that the teen needed help after threatening his classmates almost a year ago.

“I have no idea how he could have gotten caught up in this. I blame it on Covid,’’ Sandra Komoroff, 68, a cousin of Mr Gendron’s mom Pamela was quoted as saying.

“He was very paranoid about getting Covid, extremely paranoid, to the point that — his friends were saying — he would wear the hazmat suit [to school],” she said.

She added that Mr Gendron had “bought into the fear of Covid.”

Here’s the hard truth about people like Payton Gendron

07:59 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: During my research, I found that the underlying feelings drawing people to extreme movements were similar, regardless of whether the person was a Norwegian women recruited into a Marxist cult in the 1980s or a British schoolboy lured to fight for Islamists in Syria in 2014, writes Charlotte McDonald-Gibson.

I’m an expert on extremism. Here’s the hard truth about people like Payton Gendron

Gunman sought to 'continue his rampage'

07:20 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The gunman who killed 10 people in a supermarket in Buffalo last week intended to target a second store on Saturday if he had not been stopped, police said.

Buffalo police chief JosephGramaglia told local media that there was evidence to suggest the gunman wanted to target a second store on Saturday if he had not been stopped.

Of the 13 people shot, 11 were Black.

Tops thanks community, announces resources for locals

07:01 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: In a statement on Monday, Tops Friendly Markets thanked members of the local community and law enforcement for their efforts over the weekend, when 10 people were shot dead and three others wounded by a gunman.

The chain, who said the tragedy will not change its commitment to the predominantly Black neighbourhood around the store where the shooting happened, also announced a series of iniaitives to help locals

A shuttle bus bill run to the nearest Tops store, the company said, and food and supplies will also be made available via the city’s Resource Council, a charity.

The Jefferson Avenue Tops supermarket is expected to remain closed “until further notice” as the investigation into the deadly shooting continues.

White supremacist symbols on gun, video shows

06:02 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: The gunman accused of killing 10 people in a racially-motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New York on Saturday appeared to have racist slogans daubed on his weapon.

A video appeared to show the suspect, 18-year-old Payton Gendron, with the N-word and the number 14 — a known white supremacist code — written on the barrel of the gun in white paint.

A government official said “14” refers to a 14-word statement that is popular with white supremacists, according to Buffalo News.

Mr Gendron has pleaded not guilty to first degree murder charges.

Read the full story here:

Gunman in Buffalo mass shooting appeared to have racial slur written on his rifle

‘He had plans to continue his attack’, say police

05:01 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: Payton Gendron, the Buffalo shooting suspect, would have continued shooting “more Black people” following the attack on a supermarket, police have reportedly said.

Buffalo police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia told ABC News on Monday that Mr Gendron, 18, could have continued shooting in the area around the Tops supermarket on Saturday, where 10 people were shot dead.

Three others were wounded in the attack, and according to police 11 of his alleged victims were Black. Authorities have described the shooting as a racially motivated hate crime.

“We have uncovered information that if he escaped the [Tops] supermarket, he had plans to continue his attack,” Mr Gramaglia said. “He had plans to continue driving down Jefferson Ave to shoot more Black people ... possibly go to another store [or] location.”

Read the full story here:

Buffalo gunman planned to shoot ‘more Black people’, police say

Liz Cheney calls out GOP for enabling white nationalism

04:04 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney has called out her own party on the issue of white nationalism after Saturday’s shooting in Buffalo, and others across the United States this weekend.

She tweeted: “The House GOP leadership has enabled white nationalism, white supremacy, and anti-semitism. History has taught us that what begins with words ends in far worse. GOP leaders must renounce and reject these views and those who hold them.”

It comes after New York governor described the 18-year-old Buffalo gunman as a “white supremacist” following revelations about his beliefs and past history, as well as apparent white supremacist motives.

Republicans have staunchly defended gun rights in spite of previous mass shootings, and some in Congress have been accused of furthering white nationalist rhetoric.

New White House press secretary pushes back on Fox question over Biden trip to Buffalo but not other scenes of attacks

03:11 , Graeme Massie

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to engage with a query from a Fox News correspondent who asked why President Joe Biden was able to visit Buffalo to comfort victims of a white supremacist mass shooting which took place there over the weekend but not other disaster-stricken communities.

Andrew Feinberg has the details.

New White House press sec’y pushes back on Fox question over Biden Buffalo trip

The problem with Biden’s speech about the Buffalo shooter

02:05 , Graeme Massie

I don’t want to unite with people that want me dead, writes Michael Arceneaux.

The big problem with Biden’s speech about the Buffalo shooter

Inside the data that debunks the ‘Great Replacement’ theory

01:15 , Graeme Massie

Versions of the conspiracy theory have existed for decades or even centuries – but the data doesn’t support the claims, writes Andrew Buncombe.

Inside the data that debunks the ‘Great Replacement’ theory

Schumer accuses ‘MAGA Republicans and cable news pundits’ of spreading ‘echoes’ of Buffalo shooter’s ideology

Tuesday 17 May 2022 00:05 , Graeme Massie

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer joined the chorus of voices accusing the right of spreading the same ideology as the shooters in Buffalo, Christchurch, El Paso and other attacks motivated by the racist “White Replacement Theory” belief.

Speaking on the floor of the US Senate on Monday, Mr Schumer excoriated conservatives for spreading what he said were “echoes” of the same ravings that the suspect in the mass shooting that occurred over the weekend in Buffalo espoused in a lengthy manifesto posted online before the attack.

John Bowden has the story.

Schumer says ‘MAGA Republicans’ spreading ‘echoes’ of Buffalo shooter’s ideology

Obama reacts to ‘despicable’ Buffalo shooting

Monday 16 May 2022 23:31 , Graeme Massie

The former president took to Twitter to condemn the mass shooting by a white nationalist in a predominantly Black neighbourhood of Buffalo.

“This weekend’s shootings in Buffalo offer a tragic reminder of the price we pay for refusing to curb the easy access to guns. It should also serve as a wakeup call for all Americans of goodwill, regardless of party,” he said.

“We need to repudiate in the strongest terms the politicians and media figures who — whether for political gain or to boost ratings — have used their platforms to promote and normalize “replacement theory” and other starkly racist, anti-Semitic, and nativist conspiracy theories.

“It’s despicable, it’s dangerous — and it needs to stop.”

Buffalo man arrested and accused of making terroristic threat

Monday 16 May 2022 22:58 , Graeme Massie

A Buffalo man was arrested amd accused of making a terroristic threat against two businesses in the wake of the mass shooting in the city.

Erie County District Attorney’s Office alleges that Joseph S Chowaniec made threats to a pizzeria on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo and to a brewery downtown.

Investigators say the 52-year-old called both businesses Sunday afternoon and made threats referencing the shooting at Tops Friendly Markets in the city, which killed 10 people and injured another three.

Mr Chowaniec faces seven years in prison if convicted.

Radio call reveals first responders’ alarm

Monday 16 May 2022 22:37 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: The radio calls between dispatchers and first responders on the scene at Buffalo’s Tops Friendly Market at the weekend has revealed their alarm at finding bodies at the supermarket.

According to audio obtained by Buffalo News on Sunday, a police officerinformed dispatchers to alert homicide detectives because “We have bodies down here”.

That call came after police were dispatched to the scene at 2.31pm to find an active shooting situation and straight away told dispatchers: “Radio, send as many cars as you possibly can”.

Shots were still being fired by the suspect gunman, 18-year-old Payton Gendron, as more police cars were dispatched to the store on the city’s Jefferson Avenue.

Read the full story here:

Radio call reveals first responders’ alarm at Buffalo shooting

Monday 16 May 2022 22:01 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: The parents of 18-year-old Buffalo shooting suspect Payton Gendron were interviewed by FBI agents over the weekend, police said.

On Sunday, Buffalo police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said investigators including FBI agents and New York State troopers had been to Mr Gendron’s family home, where they interviewed his parents.

While details remain few and far between, Mr Gramaglia said both of Mr Gendron’s parents were cooperating with authorities.

The police commissioner also believed they were “absolutely distraught and devastated” by their son’s arrest in connection with the shooting at Tops Friendly Market on Saturday, Fox News reported.

Police believe the suspect gunman acted alone when he shot 10 people dead at the supermarket in Buffalo, about 200 miles away from his home in Conklin, New York.

Read the full story here:

Buffalo shooting suspect’s ‘devastated’ parents interviewed by FBI

Shooting suspect visited Buffalo supermarket in March

Monday 16 May 2022 21:32 , Graeme Massie

Buffalo Police Commissioner says that the shooting suspect visited the site of the mass killing back in March.

Joseph Gramaglia said that white supremacist Payton Gendron had been at the Tops Friendly Markets store several months ago.

Mr Gramaglia added that law enforcement has embarked on “a very long investigation.”

“There’s a lot of digital footprint, electronics we’ll have to go through. So that process is ongoing,” he said on Monday.

“Information has also come as a result of some of this investigation that the individual was here a few months ago, back in early March. So as I said, there’s a lot of material to go through, so that we have confirmed now it appears that individual was here back in early March.”

‘I understand emotions are high’: Erie County DA

Monday 16 May 2022 21:23 , Graeme Massie

“This defendant is innocent until proven guilty. He has only been charged with one charge and that is it. It is an accusation, an allegation and that is all it is,” said prosecutor John Flynn during a press conference.

“My job is to ensure a fair and impartial trial and iIam goign to do everything I can to make sure that happens.”

He said there was a “lot of chat and threats” that he and law enforcement were now hearing in the Buffalo area, in the wake of the grocery store attack.

He said a man had been arrested and held for making threats to a pizza restaurant and a brewery, “referencing” the attack. He said the man now faced up to seven-years in jail for making terrorist threats.

He admitted the man, whom he did not name, would be allowed to walk free after his arraignment.

“If you make threats you are going to get arrested then I am going to presecute you,” he said as he warned “any tough guy” that was threatening people.

“I will find you, I will arrest you and I will prosecute you,” he added.

Amherst Police investigating shooting threats

Monday 16 May 2022 21:09 , Graeme Massie

“The Amherst Police Department is aware of the threat shown here. It is currently under investigation. We are working with all of our law enforcement partners as the investigation continues,” the department tweeted in response to an online threat.

Video of Tucker Carlson promoting ‘Great Replacement’ theory surfaces again

Monday 16 May 2022 20:35 , Graeme Massie

A white supremacist mass shooter in Buffalo killed 10 people and wounded another three — 11 of whom were Black — and left behind a manifesto that clearly indicated he had been inspired to commit his crime by the “Great Replacement Theory”.

The accused Buffalo shooter’s manifesto echoes ideas that are becoming fairly standard in conservative ideology, thanks in no small part to Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Graig Graziosi has the story.

Video of Tucker Carlson promoting ‘Great Replacement’ theory surfaces again

Marjorie Taylor Greene ‘shocked’ people ‘refuse to take responsibility’ to defend themselves

Monday 16 May 2022 19:55 , Graeme Massie

Marjorie Taylor Greene has been slammed for a tweet in which she said she is “shocked” that people “refuse to take responsibility” to defend themselves.

The Republican lawmaker’s tone-deaf post came just days after 10 people were gunned down by a white nationalist at a grocery store in a largely African-American neighbourhood in Buffalo.

The Georgia politician was responding to a tweet in which a user asked why anyone would want to live somewhere that people had to arm themselves to go and buy groceries.

“I do live in that world. I am blessed to live in Georgia. And I want the same for every law-abiding citizen. I’m shocked at how many people refuse to take responsibility for defending themselves, handing over their rights and depending on the failing government to protect them,” she tweeted.

Twitter users were quick to criticise the congresswoman for her stance.

“Blessed to live in Georgia”- The #5 state in the country with total gun related deaths (more then double New York’s total death) this isn’t even based off per capita…” tweeted one user.

And another user added: “Now condemn white replacement theory. I’ll wait.”

“I love living in a world where guns have more rights than women!” tweeted another user.

Twitch livestream has reappeared on social media

Monday 16 May 2022 17:30 , Gino Spocchia

Both Facebook and Twitter have reportedly been working to remove versions of the Twitch livestream filmed by suspect gunman Payton Gendron on Saturday.

The livestream, which the gaming website removed within minutes of the attack unfolding, has since reappeared on social media sites – who say they are working to remove the horrific and alarming footage.

“We have teams working around the clock across Meta to identify, remove, and block violating content related to the shooting,” said the owners of Facebook to Newsweek on Monday.

Twitter told The Associated Press on Sunday it was working to remove material related to the shooting that violates its rules on content shared by “individual perpetrators of terrorist, violent extremist, or mass violent attacks”.

A victim’s mother meanwhile told Buffalo News at the weekend that she had sent her daughter to the Tops Friendly Market on Saturday and saw her getting shot by the gunman on a video that was res-shared on Facebook.

New York governor Kathy Hochul afterwards called on social media companies to be more vigilant with such content, which she said should have taken down “within a second”.

Questions asked about suspects background

Monday 16 May 2022 17:00 , Gino Spocchia

The investigation into the Buffalo shooting has raised questions about why the suspect, 18-year-old Payton Gendron, was not more of a concern to authorities before his arrest in connection with the deaths of 10 Black people at a supermarket.

Police were previously aware of Mr Gendron June last year, when he was detained for making a “generalised” threat at his high school, Buffalo police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said at the weekend.

Mr Gendron reportedly underwent a mental health evaluation at the time, and was released after 1-1/2 days, The Associated Press reported.

Police say investigators have since uncovered evidence suggesting the attack on the Tops Friendly Market was an “racially motivated violent extremism”. That includes an alleged 180=page manifesto written by Mr Gendron which includes white supremacist conspiracy theories.

All names of victims released by Buffalo police

Monday 16 May 2022 16:30 , Gino Spocchia

The names of all victims of Saturday’s shooting in Buffalo, New York, have been released by police as the investigation into the racist attack progesses.

Police said on Sunday that the 13 victims, almost of all of whom were Black, raged in aged between 20 and 86, and included well known figures from the local community.

All 10 of those who were killed were Black, in what police have called a racially motivated hate crime carried out by a white gunman.

Read the full story here:

Tributes honour Black community leaders killed in Buffalo mass shooting

Anti-racism experts condemn the right over Buffalo

Monday 16 May 2022 16:00 , Gino Spocchia

The 18-year-old suspect charged in connection with the Buffalo shooting on Saturday allegedly wrote a manifesto in which he pushed ideas including “white replacement theory”.

Experts have long pointed to the theory as inspiring numerous far-right attacks in the United States and elsewhere. Despite that, far right members of the GOP and commentators such as Fox News’s Tucker Carlson have referenced the theory – particularly in association with the southern border.

Now, the theory is again at the centre of debate following the shooting deaths of 10 Black people in Buffalo.

John Bowden has more analysis here:

Anti-racism experts condemn ‘great replacement’ conspiracy pushed by Tucker Carlson

Buffalo police certain shooting is a hate crime

Monday 16 May 2022 15:30 , Gino Spocchia

Buffalo police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said the shooting at Tops Friendly Market was an “absolute hate crime”, and that his investigation would treat the case as such, in comments reported by CNN on Sunday.

“The evidence that we have uncovered so far makes no mistake that this is an absolute racist hate crime,” Mr Gramaglia said. “This is someone who has hate in their heart, soul and mind.”

It follows reports that Payton Gendron, 18, allegedly wrote a 180-page manifesto online with white supremacist themes.

He also allegedly modified a gun – painted with racist and white supremacist symbols –before travelling about 200 miles to Buffalo where he livestreamed the attack and shot 10 Black people dead, authorities said.

He has pleaded not guilty to first degree murder charges, which carry a life prison sentence in New York.

Governor calls on tech companies to take action

Monday 16 May 2022 15:00 , Gino Spocchia

Governor Kathy Hochul labelled the Buffalo shooting suspect “a white supremacist” whose killing of 10 people was “cold-hearted” and “military style” during a news conference on Sunday.

“It strikes us in our very hearts to know that there’s such evil that lurks out there,” said Ms Hochul. “This individual – this white supremacist – who just perpetrated a hate crime on an innocent community, will spend the rest of his days behind bars.”

While 18-year-old Payton Gendron – who has now been charged with first degree murder and pleaded not guilty in court on Saturday night – the governor continued by demanding action from technology companies on hate speech shared on the internet.

“How these depraved ideas are fermenting on social media — it’s spreading like a virus now,” Ms Hochul told ABC News.

It comes amid revelations about Mr Genderson’s beliefs, which he allegedly included in a 180-page “manifesto” in which he described himself as a white supremacist.

Police say Gendron filled with hate

Monday 16 May 2022 13:00 , Gino Spocchia

Payton Gendron was allegedly filled with hatred towards the Black community, police said on Sunday.

“The evidence that we have uncovered so far makes no mistake that this is an absolute racist hate crime,” said Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia. “This is someone who has hate in their heart, soul and mind”.

A police source also told CNN that Mr Gendron had been “studying” previous attacks and shootings and that his statements to officers were filled with hate. It was unclear however what he said.

Mr Gendron – who has been charged with first-degree murder for the shooting –pleaded not guilty in court on Saturday night.

Read the full story here:

Buffalo shooter made hateful statements about Black community, police say

Firearms store owner ‘couldn’t believe it’

Monday 16 May 2022 12:30 , Gino Spocchia

The owner of a firearms store who reportedly sold the weapon used on Saturday has spoken out following the attack on a supermarket in Buffalo

On Sunday, Robert Donald said herecently sold a Bushmaster assault weapon to the suspect, 18-year-old Payton Gendron, and “could not believe” what had occurred.

“I knew nothing about it until I got the call from them (federal investigators), said Mr Donald, owner of Vintage Firearms, to The New York Times. “I couldn’t believe it”.

Mr Donald said the suspect passed a background check and “didn’t stand out, because if he did, I would’ve never sold him the gun”. He added that “any gun can be easily modified if you really want to do it,” after the weapon allegedly used in the attack was found to have been modified.

The comments came as New York governor Kathy Hochul told reporters that magazines which are illegal in New York State were used in the attack.

Suspect was ‘acting like he was homeless'

Monday 16 May 2022 12:00 , Gino Spocchia

The suspect arrested following the deadly attack on a predominantly Black neighnbourhood on Saturday in Buffalo conducted a “reconnaissance” a day before the shooting, according to police.

Payton Gendron visited the Tops Friendly Market on Friday in Buffalo to check out the area, said Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia on Sunday. “It seems that he had come here to scope out the area, to do a little reconnaissance work on the area before he carried out his just evil, sickening act,” said Mr Gramaglia.

The manager of the supermarket, Shonnell Teague, followed by saying on Sunday that Gendron allegedly came “acting like he was homeless”, in an apparent disguise.

“He really was checking out the store,” she told The New York Daily News: “He was acting like he was homeless and needed change”.

Authorities said Mr Gendron had traveled about 200 miles (320 kilometers) from his home in Conklin, New York, home to Buffalo to carry out the attack on the mainly Black community there, The Associated Press reported.