By Sulaimon Jamiu
No fewer than ten people have been killed in a racially motivated mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, a black neighbourbood in New York, United States.
The shooting occurred on Saturday afternoon at a Tops Friendly Markets store, BBC reported.
According to reports, the suspect, an 18-year-old White male identified as Payton Gendron, stormed the supermarket, heavily armed, wearing tactical gear, and opened fire. He also had a camera where he was livestreaming the attack.
CNN reported that thirteen were shot in the attack and 10 have died. Of those shot, 11 were Black and two were White, officials said. Two people remain hospitalized in stable condition, according to a spokesperson for Erie County Medical Center.
The police, however, said the suspect is in custody.
When arraigned before the court on Saturday night, Gendron pleaded not guilty to the first degree murder charge brought against him, Buffalo City Court Chief Judge Craig Hannah told the BBC.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice is investigating the mass shooting “as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism,” according to a statement from US Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“The Justice Department is committed to conducting a thorough and expeditious investigation into this shooting and to seeking justice for these innocent victims,” the statement said.
