Alleged Buffalo supermarket shooter pleads guilty

19-year-old Payton Gendron pleaded guilty to 15 charges on Monday, including domestic terrorism motivated by hate, murder and attempted-murder.

He allegedly opened fire in a grocery store in a predominately Black community earlier this year, killing 10 people and injuring three-others. He shared online hours before the shooting that he picked that particular grocery store, a three-hour drive from his house, because it was in a Black community.

At a press briefing Monday, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said Gendron is the first person in New York’s history to be found guilty of a domestic terrorism charge.

“No individual in the history of the state of New York has been found guilty of that domestic terrorism charge motivated by hate until today,” Flynn said. “And he pled guilty to that highest charge today. He also pled guilty to all the first-degree murder charges, all ten counts.”

Flynn also highlighted the path of destruction left behind.

“In just over 2 minutes, the defendant with the intent to murder as many African Americans as he could, killed ten innocent black people and attempted to kill three others,” Flynn said.

Defense Attorney Brian Parker spoke at a press briefing following the plea.

“Today, our client pled guilty to every count of the indictment with the full knowledge that he will spend the rest of his life in prison with no chance of parole,” Parker said. “Though the federal case continues, his actions today ensure that there will be no state court trial and he will not appeal. This critical step represents a condemnation of the racist ideology that fueled his horrific actions on May 14^th_.“

The 19-year-old is set to be sentenced in February but is still facing several federal charges including some that carry the death penalty.