A federal grand jury indicted the white man suspected of fatally shooting ten black people in Buffalo, N.Y., on hate-crime and firearm-violation charges, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
Peyton Gendron, 19, was suspected of fatally shooting ten black people and injuring three others on May 14 in the parking lot of a grocery store, Tops Friendly Markets, in Buffalo.
The jury charged Gendron with ten counts of hate crimes resulting in death, “three counts of hate crimes involving an attempt to kill three injured individuals, and one hate crimes count alleging that Gendron attempted to kill additional Black people in and around the Tops grocery store,” according to the DOJ.
The indictment also includes 13 charges of “using, carrying, or discharging a firearm in relation to the hate crimes.”
“Today, a grand jury has indicted Payton Gendron with hate crime and firearms offenses following the horrific attack on the Black community of Buffalo that killed 10 people and injured three others on May 14, 2022,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland, who made the announcement about the charges.
“The Justice Department fully recognizes the threat that white supremacist violence poses to the safety of the American people and American democracy. We will continue to be relentless in our efforts to combat hate crimes, to support the communities terrorized by them, and to hold accountable those who perpetrate them,” Garland added.
If convicted, Gendron faces a maximum sentence of life in prison or the death penalty. Garland will be responsible for determining whether the death penalty is warranted, according to the statement.
The indictment comes one day before Tops Friendly Markets is set to reopen, according to ABC News.