By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrowMedia
A white man who traveled to a Buffalo grocery store in May and killed 10 African-Americans, including Black Press writer Katherine Massey, pleaded guilty to 25 criminal charges Monday and will spend the rest of his life in prison.
A grand jury previously indicted Payton Gendron, 19, with domestic terrorism, first-degree murder, attempted murder, hate crimes and weapons possession.
A single charge of hate-motivated domestic terrorism carries an automatic life sentence upon conviction.
Prosecutors said Gendron acknowledged that he committed the heinous crimes “for the future of the white race.”
An attorney for the victims indicated relief that the state’s case did not go to trial.
“It avoids a long trial that they think would be very difficult for the families,” said Terrence Connors, an attorney representing the families of the victims.
“I think it was pretty clear that they had no real defense.”
The self-described white supremacist, Gendron, previously pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges. Federal law allows the death penalty in such cases.
He still faces 27 federal charges, including ten counts of hate crimes resulting in death, three counts of hate crimes involving an intent to kill, and 13 counts of using, carrying or firing a firearm related to a hate crime.
Prosecutors said Gendron was in possession of a 180-page manifesto that revealed troubling perceptions held by the self-proclaimed white supremacist.
He complained about the declining size of the white population, and included his fears of ethnic and cultural replacement of whites.
Gendron described himself as a fascist, white supremacist, and anti-Semite.
His wave of live shots has left at least ten dead and several wounded.
Unlike the many unarmed blacks killed during encounters with law enforcement, the white racist is alive to plead not guilty in court.
“While violent attacks by white supremacists in the past appear to have played a role in this heinous act, we must acknowledge that the extremist rhetoric espoused by some right-wing media and political leaders who promote theories that vilify or dehumanize segments of our society such as the ‘great replacement theory’ is also a factor,” US House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson wrote in an earlier statement.
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) deputy national director Edward Ahmed Mitchell added that the organization condemns the white supremacist terrorist attack on black men and women in Buffalo and the racist rhetoric that has sparked such violence.
“The constant repetition of white supremacist conspiracy theories on social media and even in the mainstream media has led to horrifying violence in places as far apart as Christchurch, El Paso, Oslo and Charleston,” Mitchell previously stated.
“Those who promote racism, white supremacy, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry must be held accountable for the violence they inspire.”
Mitchell added that CAIR has often spoken out against those promoting the “great replacement” and other racist conspiracy theories.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told the live National Association of Newspaper Publishers morning show Let It Be Known that Gendron surveilled both the community and the grocery store as part of planning the attack.
Brown said the teen surveyed the area for several days and pointed to a crowded spot in an area predominantly populated by black people.
Gendron’s manifesto noted, “The 14208 ZIP code in Buffalo has the highest percentage of blacks that is close enough to where I live.”
According to the US Census, the ZIP code is 78 percent black and is among the top 2 percent of ZIP codes nationwide with the highest percentage of black population. Additionally, it has the highest rate of black population of any zip code in upstate New York.
“Well, this manifesto tells us everything. And that’s what’s so chilling that there’s the potential for people to write and subscribe to those hate-filled philosophies,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said after the shooting.
“The acts of white supremacist terrorism that are brewing on social media and knowing that what this individual did has been shared with the rest of the world, as well as the live streaming of this military-style execution that occurred in the streets. from my hometown.”
Massey, one of Gendron’s victims, spent her life trying to clean up and help her community. While retiring from Blue Cross Blue Shield, Massey, 72, remained active in her community as president of the Cherry Street Block Club and as a columnist for the Buffalo Challenger, an NNPA member newspaper.
“She was the best person you will ever meet in your life,” her nephew, Demetrius Massey, told reporters.
