Andre Mackneil, 53, a Black man, was killed on May 14, 2022, in Buffalo, New York, when a gunman opened fire at the Tops Friendly Markets on Jefferson Avenue. That Saturday began in an ordinary way, with Mackneil stepping into the store for a small, joyful errand—his family said he was there to pick up a cake for his young son’s birthday. Instead, the trip ended in violence that stunned a neighborhood and tore a hole through the lives of the people who loved him.
In the days that followed, his family spoke of a man whose world revolved around family and community—someone known for humor, advice, and presence, the person relatives could count on to show up, to listen, to make people feel seen. His obituary described him as a Buffalo native born March 8, 1969, who had been living in Auburn, New York, and who worked as a cook while also caring for his child at home. It recalled his love of basketball, music, poetry, and guitar, and it listed the many children, siblings, and extended family members left to carry his memory forward.
Investigators identified the shooter as Payton Gendron, who authorities said carried out the attack as an act of hate-driven violence. He was taken into custody at the scene, and prosecutors moved quickly with sweeping charges as the case became one of the most closely watched criminal prosecutions in New York.
In the state case, Gendron ultimately pleaded guilty on November 28, 2022, to all counts in the indictment, including murder and domestic terrorism motivated by hate, ensuring the case would not go to trial in Erie County Court. On February 15, 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on the state charges, a punishment that guaranteed he would never be released under New York’s system.
Alongside the state prosecution, a separate federal case advanced on a parallel track. Federal authorities announced that a grand jury returned a 27-count indictment on July 14, 2022, charging Gendron with hate crimes resulting in death, hate crimes involving attempts to kill those who survived, and firearms offenses tied to the attack—charges that carry the possibility of the death penalty under federal law. As of the most recent publicly reported updates, the federal case has remained active with litigation over timing and venue, meaning the courtroom chapter tied to Mackneil’s death has not fully closed.
