Katherine “Kat” Massey, 72, a Black female, set out on May 14, 2022, for what was supposed to be an ordinary grocery run in Buffalo, New York. She kept a shopping list and relied on family for rides, and that afternoon her brother dropped her off at the Tops Friendly Markets on Jefferson Avenue. Not long after, the routine of the day shattered—sirens, flashing lights, and a parking lot filling with police and paramedics—while her family searched for any sign that she had made it out.
Investigators said the gunman arrived at the store at about 2:30 p.m., armed and wearing protective gear, and began firing in and around the market while broadcasting the attack online. Ten people were killed and three others were wounded. Police confronted the shooter and took him into custody at the scene in the store’s parking lot, ending the rampage within minutes of the first reports of shots fired.
Outside the taped-off entrance, Massey’s relatives were forced into a terrible limbo, asking officers again and again for news while the building remained an active crime scene. Hours passed without names being released, and the waiting stretched into the night. By the next day, after a series of calls and questions meant to confirm what could no longer be denied, the family received confirmation that Massey was among those killed.
In life, Massey had been known in her neighborhood for showing up, speaking up, and pushing for changes she believed would protect her community—especially from gun violence. She spent decades working in insurance, organized neighbors and civic efforts, and helped build and support local advocacy work that outlived any single meeting or campaign. In the days after her death, those who loved her described her as both tender and unyielding: a person who could be joyful and warm, and also relentless when she believed something wasn’t right.
The only person arrested in connection with the killings was Payton Gendron of Conklin, New York. In state court, he pleaded guilty in November 2022 to charges that included murder and domestic terrorism motivated by hate, and on February 15, 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In federal court, a grand jury returned a 27-count indictment in July 2022 that included hate-crime and firearms counts tied to the attack, and in January 2024 the U.S. Justice Department filed notice that it would seek the death penalty. After additional litigation and delays, the federal case was rescheduled for in-person jury selection beginning August 17, 2026.
