NEW YORK – A man killed 10 people and injured many others as he opened fire at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York while live-streaming on Twitch, local officials said.
The gunman, who was armed with an assault-style rifle and wearing body armour, was arrested after the shooting spree. Officials said he drove to Buffalo from his home in a New York state county “hours away” to launch the attack, which he broadcast on the internet.
Eleven of the victims were Black and two were white.
The suspect was later identified as Payton Gendron, of Conklin, a New York state community about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Buffalo.
Stephen Belongia, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Buffalo field office, told reporters that the shooting is being investigated as “both a hate crime and a case of racially motivated violent extremism”.
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said the gunman had opened fire outside the store – shooting four people, including three people who died – before walking into the building. He said the shooter was heavily armed, wearing military fatigues, and prepared for a shootout with police.
Gramaglia said the security guard at the store was a retired police officer who shot the suspect, but the bullet had no effect because he was wearing armored plating. “The suspect engaged our retired officer and he was ultimately shot and deceased at the scene,” the commissioner said.
At the White House, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden was receiving regular updates on the shooting and the investigation and had offered prayers with the first lady for the victims and their loved ones.
“The president has been briefed by his Homeland Security advisor on the horrific shooting in Buffalo, New York, this afternoon. He will continue to receive updates throughout the evening and tomorrow as further information develops,” she said.
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