Detainee In Buffalo’s ‘Racially Motivated’ Mass Shooting Pleads Not Guilty

New York, May 15: The 18-year-old detainee, suspected in a “racially motivated” mass shooting, that killed 10 people at a supermarket in the US’ Buffalo, has pleaded not guilty for the act when produced in a court.

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon at a Tops Friendly Markets store in Buffalo.

The store in a statement said the incident was “shocking and deeply saddened.” The suspect in the shooting, a white male, is in custody, police said.

He was identified as Payton Gendron, 18, and pleaded not guilty to the first degree murder charge brought against him in court Saturday night, Buffalo City Court Chief Judge Craig Hannah told CNN.

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, a spokesperson for Erie County Medical Center told CNN. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said, “this is the worst nightmare that any community can face”.

FBI also seeking support from the public in its website saying, “If you have images or video please submit”.

CNN in its report said the Saturday’s massacre in Buffalo is the latest high-profile mass shooting in which authorities have said the suspect was motivated by hate, including attacks at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas; the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh; Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston and the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

The US Justice Department has also released a statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland saying, “The country mourns the victims of a senseless, horrific shooting in Buffalo, New York. The FBI and ATF are working closely with the Buffalo Police Department and federal, state, and local law enforcement partners”. The justice department has also termed the incident as a “hate crime” and “racially-motivated”. “The Justice Department is investigating this matter as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism. The Justice Department is committed to conducting a thorough and expeditious investigation into this shooting and to seeking justice for these innocent victims.” the department said in its statement.

The 18-year-old has even the shooting live-streamed in Twitch, a live-streaming platform.

Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said that he suspect drove to the Tops market heavily armed, wearing tactical gear, and had a camera where he was live-streaming what he was doing, according to CNN.

According a portion of the live-stream obtained by CNN, the shooter, who is seen in the rear view mirror wearing a helmet is heard saying, “Just got to go for it” before he pulls into the front of the store.

Twitch, the popular live streaming platform best known for gaming, confirmed Saturday the suspect had used its platform to stream a live broadcast during the attack. The suspect has been “indefinitely suspended” from the platform.

A spokesperson for Twitch said the company removed the live-stream less than two minutes after the violence started. Tops Friendly Markets in a statement said the incident was “shocked and deeply saddened.”