Buffalo: US seeks death penalty for gunman in racist shooting
Violence In America,Criminal Justice,Buffalo,Gun Violence,Race And Racism,Capital Punishment And Death Penalty,New York,White Supremacy,Hate Crimes,Justice Department
The US federal government is seeking the death penalty for a white gunman who killed 10 people in a racially-motivated 2022 shooting.
The US Department of Justice, in a Biden administration first, said capital punishment is warranted due to the shooting's effect on victims.
Payton Gendron, 20, was sentenced to life in prison last year for the Buffalo, New York, shooting.
Gendron has said he killed people that day "because they were black".
The justice department outlined its arguments for the death penalty in a court filing on Friday. Under President Joe Biden, the federal government has not previously sought capital punishment and the longtime politician has stated his opposition to it.
But the agency said in its court filing that the sentence was warranted because Gendron intentionally targeted the victims he killed and injured for their race when he opened fire at a grocery store on 14 May, 2022.
AllSides Picks
Red Blue Translator
Drug Legalization
Red Blue Translator
Capital Punishment/Death Penalty
Headline Roundup
British Teen's Death Sparks Protests, Split Media Narratives on Race and Policing
June 4th, 2026
