The victims of the ‘racist’ massacre in Buffalo are being identified as their devastated families speak out.
White supremacist Payton Gendron, 18, is accused of killing 10 people and wounding three others at the Tops Friendly supermarket, in New York state, on Saturday.
He allegedly opened fire in the predominantly black neighbourhood. All of the victims we know about so far were black.
An 86-year-old grandma, Ruth Whitfield, and retired police officer, Aaron Salter, were the first two victims
More details about them and the identities of five other victims have now emerged.
Ruth Whitfield
Ms Whitfield, 86, was identified as a victim by her son, Garnell, who told she was a ‘blessing’ who acted as a ‘mother to the motherless’.
She was in the store at the time while picking up some groceries on her way home from visiting her husband in a nursing home.
Aaron Salter Jr
Mr Salter was working as a security guard after a successful career as a Buffalo police officer.
He reportedly tried to confront Gendron after the ‘racist’ shooter had allegedly already shot four and three in the carpark.
The dad-of-three fired his own gun at Gendron but it’s believed the bullets could not pierce Gendron’s armour.
Buffalo police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia called Mr Salter ‘a hero in our eyes’ while Police Benevolent Association president John Evans said: ‘I had the pleasure of knowing him, great guy, well-respected, well-liked.’
Katherine Massey
The 72-year-old was doing her regular grocery shop before she met her horrific fate.
Her sister, Barbara, 64, told the : ‘I thought about it all night and I would like him to be in there for 70, 80 years.
‘I want him to wake up every day with a black person or a Jewish person there next to him and have to deal with that.’
Ms Massey has been described in local media as a ‘powerful voice’ who campaigned for civil rights and education in the black community.
Pearl Young
The mum and grandma, 77, was identified by a local journalist who knew Ms Young from her 25 years of feeding the poor in Buffalo’s Central Park.
The reporter wrote: ‘She loved singing, dancing and being with family. She was a mother, grandma, and missionary. Gone too soon.’
Celestine Chaney
The 65-year-old single mum, who survived breast cancer, was named as a victim by her son Wayne Jones.
He said she went to the shops with her sister to get strawberries so they could make a cake together.
Her sister only just survived the shooting because she was able to run and hide in a freezer.
But Ms Chaney had issues with her legs and was unable to do the same.
Roberta Drury
Like so many others, this 32-year-old had thought nothing of rushing out to the supermarket to get some groceries for dinner.
Her sister Amanda told the : ‘She was always the centre of attention and made the whole room smile and laugh.’
Heyward Patterson
Mr Patterson’s niece, Teniqua Clark, told the her uncle made his living giving lifts to people to and from the supermarket.
He made a point of charging less than a traditional taxi or other ride-sharing services so he was affordable for everyone.
The attack was streamed on Twitch before Gendron surrendered to the police and charged with murder.
The massacre was called an act of ‘violent extremism’ motivated by racial hatred.
Witnesses claim Gendron had the N-word sprawled across his rifle.
He is also believed to have published a 180-page manifesto in which he called to white people to rise up and kill African Americans and Jews.
On page 165, under the heading ‘Kill high profile enemies’, he allegedly singled out London’s Mayor, the son of a Pakistani immigrant, as one of three men he wanted dead.
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