(Buffalo) The white man accused of killing 10 black people at a Buffalo grocery store appeared briefly Thursday after a grand juror charged him with first-degree murder.
Posted at 11:11 a.m.
Assistant District Attorney Gary Hackbush said 18-year-old Payton Gendron’s indictment was dropped on Wednesday.
Gendron, who wore an orange prison uniform and a mask, remained silent throughout the proceedings, which were attended by a few family members of the victims. The whole thing only lasted a minute.
A person present shouted “Payton, you are a coward” as the accused was escorted out of the room. Gendron is currently being held without bond.
In New York state, prosecutors can charge a defendant with first-degree murder only in special circumstances, including when multiple people are killed in a single incident, such as the Buffalo shootings. The single count against Gendron covers all 10 deaths.
A total of 13 people were gunned down Saturday at Tops Friendly Market in a predominantly black neighborhood of Buffalo. Authorities continue to investigate the possibility of adding hate crime and terrorism charges.
Gendron broadcast the attack live from his helmet camera before turning himself in to police outside the grocery store. Shortly before the assault, he posted hundreds of pages of writings to online discussion groups detailing his plans for the attack and his racist motivation.
Investigators reviewed these documents, including a diary he kept on the Discord chat platform.
In his first court appearance last week, Gendron’s court-appointed attorney pleaded “not guilty” on his behalf. He is due back in court on June 9.