BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The City of Buffalo is planning to honor the lives lost in the Tops mass shooting one year after the tragic incident.
On May 14, 2022, 10 people were killed and three others were injured in a racially-motivated attack at the Tops store on Jefferson Avenue. Each person who was killed was Black.
The shooter, Payton Gendron, was 18 at the time. This past February, he received 11 life sentences on state charges. The federal case against him, which will determine whether or not he is put to death, is still ongoing.
MORE | Read the federal indictment here.
Here are the names of those who were killed in the act of domestic terrorism:
APP USERS | If you are unable to see the names below, tap here.
- Ruth Whitfield, 86
- Roberta Drury, 32
- Andre Mackniel, 53
- Aaron Salter, 55
- Heyward Patterson, 67
- Pearl Young, 77
- Katherine Massey, 72
- Margus Morrison, 52
- Geraldine Talley, 62
- Celestine Chaney, 65
On Wednesday, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown announced the “5/14 Remembrance Weekend of Reflection, Healing & Hope.”
“The racially motivated mass shooting shook our community to its core,” Brown said. “It was a day the unthinkable happened. It happened because the wound caused by white supremacy embedded in our country’s history and fabric continues to fester, not just in Western New York, but across our nation. It also happened because social media platforms and gun laws have gone unchecked for far too long in our country. We must come together as a nation to face this fact, to address racism, and to educate our young people of all ages and of all races, or we will continue to see innocent people killed by individuals filled with hate.”
Here is the schedule of events set to take place:
Friday, May 12
- Educational Day of Healing & Restoration / WNED Buffalo Toronto Public Media
- Panel Discussion: Beyond Hate (Roswell Park First Floor Conference Room | 9 a.m. to Noon)
- Featuring Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and moderator Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry
Saturday, May 13
- Community Gathering for Reflection Healing and Hope (Johnnie B. Wiley Amateur Athletic Sports Pavilion) [details to be released]
Sunday, May 14
- Moment of Remembrance (Jefferson Avenue Tops | 2 p.m.)
- Memorial Service for Healing and Hope (Elim Christian Fellowship | 6 p.m.)
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Evan Anstey is an Associated Press Award, JANY Award and Emmy-nominated digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2015. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.