Shooting Targeting Black People in New York State... Biden: "Hate Crime Based on Race Is Extremely Despicable"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] The motive behind the mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, was identified as white supremacy and racial discrimination. U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the act, calling "racial crimes extremely hateful."

According to the New York Times (NYT) and others on the 15th (local time), a tragedy occurred the previous day at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, where 10 people were killed in a mass shooting. The suspect arrested at the scene is 18-year-old Payton Gendron, who graduated from high school last year.

In a 180-page manifesto posted online related to the crime, Gendron defined himself as a white supremacist who worships fascism. He expressed anxiety that American white society and culture would be replaced by people of color, along with hatred toward immigrants.

In particular, the suspect was found to have been directly influenced by the March 2019 mass shooting by a white supremacist in New Zealand, who killed 51 people at an Islamic mosque.

Gendron livestreamed the scene of the shooting online as he went to the crime site. He mentioned that the New Zealand shooter also livestreamed the attack and said, "Everything happening now started from that video."

Additionally, it was confirmed that the firearm used by Gendron contained racial slurs against Black people. Of the 13 people shot by the suspect the previous day, 11 were Black. Buffalo, where the incident occurred, is classified as an area with a well-developed Black residential community compared to other U.S. cities.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that Gendron's manifesto included content about "killing as many Black people as possible" and said, "This shooting will be investigated as a hate crime motivated by racial discrimination." The court ordered a psychiatric evaluation for Gendron, who was indicted on first-degree murder charges the previous day.

President Biden said in a statement that "while the motive for this incident still requires investigation, racial crimes are extremely hateful," and criticized that "any domestic terrorist acts, including white supremacy, go against American values." He emphasized, "There is no safe zone for hate crimes," and "We must do everything to end domestic terrorism based on such hatred."

In a speech at a funeral for fallen police officers held in Washington DC that day, President Biden also referred to the incident, describing Gendron as a "lone gunman armed with war weapons and a soul full of hatred."

Kamal Harris, the first Black Vice President in U.S. history, also stated in a statement, "A plague of hate is spreading across our country," and argued, "Hate crimes or extremist violence that start because of race are harmful to all of us."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.