The white man accused of killing 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket appeared briefly in court Thursday after a grand jury indicted him on first-degree murder.
By CAROLYN THOMPSON and AARON MORRISON
BUFFALO, N.Y. Families of the people killed at a Buffalo supermarket poured out their grief and made anguished pleas for action against racist violence Thursday, hours after the white man accused of massacring 10 Black people appeared silently in court to face a murder charge.
“I constantly think about what could have been done,” Mark Talley, the son of 62-year-old Geraldine Talley, said at a news conference with the Rev. Al Sharpton.
“It’s like Groundhog’s Day. We’ve seen this over and over again. I never thought that this would happen in Buffalo,” Talley said, holding a picture of his mother. The raw emotions from several victims’ relatives came hours after Payton Gendron, 18, appeared briefly in court in an orange jail uniform, a mask and handcuffs. Assistant District Attorney Gary Hackbush said the first-degree murder indictment, which covers all 10 deaths, was handed up Wednesday. As Gendron was led out, someone shouted “Payton, you’re a coward!” from the courtroom gallery. He’s being held in jail without bail. Thirteen people in total were shot Saturday at the Tops Friendly Market in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Buffalo. Authorities are continuing to investigate the possibility of hate crime and terrorism charges. District Attorney John Flynn said his office would not comment on the case while the grand jury investigation continues.
