The 18-year-old suspected shooter accused of storming a Buffalo, New York, grocery store Saturday and killing 10 and injuring three others, planned to continue his bloody rampage down the road earlier than he was stopped, police mentioned.
Suspect Payton Gendron livestreamed the second he opened fireplace within the car parking zone of Tops Friendly Market at round 2:30 p.m. and continued shooting inside the shop whereas wearing tactical gear, police mentioned. Grendon was in the end arrested on the scene.
Police are calling the assault a hate crime as 11 of 13 individuals who have been shot have been Black — and there might have been extra victims if he hadn’t been stopped.
“It appeared that his plans were to drive out of here and continue driving down Jefferson Avenue looking to shoot more Black people as he could and possibly go to another store location,” Buffalo Police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia mentioned on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
The assault-style rifle used in the attack was legally purchased in New York, a senior law enforcement official said. A hunting rifle and a shotgun were also found at the scene.
In addition to the weapons, the suspect had a number of 30-round magazines on him, the official mentioned, that are unlawful in New York state. It’s unclear the place the suspect obtained the 30-round magazines.
Gendron, of Conklin, New York, was arraigned Saturday evening in Buffalo City Court on one count of murder in the first degree, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office said.
He was remanded without bail and a felony hearing was scheduled for Thursday morning, according to the office.
Erie County Sheriff John Garcia said the suspect is being monitored continuously on suicide watch and will be given mental health services as needed.
The shooting is now the subject of local and federal investigations.
In a Twitter statement, the FBI’s Buffalo field office said it continued to work with local, state and federal authorities on investigating the deadly attack.