Payton Gendron

Mass Murderer

Payton Gendron and the Buffalo Mass Shooting – May 14, 2022

Overview of the Crime

On May 14, 2022, at approximately 2:30 p.m. EDT, Payton S. Gendron, then 18 years old, drove over 200 miles from his home in Conklin, New York, to the Tops Friendly Markets supermarket located at 1275 Jefferson Avenue on Buffalo’s East Side. He intended to carry out a racially motivated mass shooting targeting Black individuals, influenced by extremist “Great Replacement” and white supremacist beliefs. He wore body armor, tactical gear, a helmet-mounted camera, and livestreamed part of his attack on Twitch, though the stream was terminated within two minutes. Gendron began shooting in the parking lot, killing three people, then entered the store and killed seven more. An armed store security guard, Aaron Salter Jr., a retired Buffalo police officer, confronted Gendron but was fatally shot; his bullets apparently failed to penetrate Gendron’s armor. Gendron was convinced to surrender by police just minutes after the attack began.

Legal Proceedings and Motive

Authorities treated the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime, citing Gendron’s online manifesto, racist postings online, and premeditation over months. He had posted extremist content and outlined his plans on platforms like Discord and 4chan since late 2021. On May 19, 2022, Gendron pleaded not guilty to initial state charges. Later, on November 28, 2022, he entered a guilty plea to multiple state charges—including first-degree murder, hate crimes, and domestic terrorism—stemming from the shooting. On February 15, 2023, he was sentenced in state court to 11 concurrent life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus additional years. In the federal system, a 27-count indictment was returned on July 14, 2022, charging Gendron with hate crimes resulting in death and injury, using a firearm during a hate crime, and domestic terrorism with premeditation. In January 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would seek the death penalty, marking the first such federal death penalty case authorized under the Biden administration. As of August 2025, legal proceedings on federal charges continue. His defense has filed motions opposing the death penalty and citing jury selection issues; arguments are scheduled, and the trial has been delayed to August 17, 2026.

Victims of the Attack

Below is a bullet list of the 10 individuals who were killed, with their ages, brief descriptions, and how they were involved at the Tops supermarket: - Aaron Salter Jr., 55 – Retired Buffalo police officer working as a security guard; confronted the shooter and was killed. - Celestine Chaney, 65 – Breast cancer survivor and grandmother, shopping with her sister for strawberries. - Roberta A. Drury, 32 – Youngest victim, caring for her brother; shopping for groceries. - Katherine “Kat” Massey, 72 – Community advocate and civil rights activist; wrote for local publications. - Heyward Patterson, 67 – Church deacon who often gave rides to supermarket shoppers. - Margus D. Morrison, 52 – Buffalo native and father of three. - Andre Mackneil, 53 – From Auburn; at the store to purchase a birthday cake for his grandson. - Geraldine Talley, 62 – Buffalo resident; loving sister and mother. - Ruth Whitfield, 86 – Mother of four, widely respected in community. - Pearl Young, 77 – Ran a food pantry, substitute teacher, church youth leader. Three others were shot and injured but survived (received treatment and were released): - Zaire Goodman, 20 (Buffalo) - Jennifer Warrington, 50 (Tonawanda) - Christopher Braden, 55 (Lackawanna) ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (10)

Roberta A. Drury 32 yr old Female

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Supermarket gunman who targeted Black people wants charges ...

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