Headline RoundupNovember 28th, 2022

Buffalo Mass Shooter Pleads Guilty to Murder, Hate Crime Charges

Summary from the AllSides News Team

Payton Gendron, the 19-year-old who killed 13 people in a racially-motivated shooting in May, pleaded guilty Monday to all charges against him, including murder, murder as a hate crime, and hate-motivated domestic terrorism.

For Context: Gendron drove over 200 miles from his home to a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, to carry out the shooting because it was the closest city to him with the most black residents, according to a manifesto he posted days before the shooting. In Monday's proceeding, the judge named each of the 11 black victims and asked Gendron whether he killed them because of their race. Gendron answered "yes." Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 15, and the judge will be required to sentence Gendron to life without parole since he pleaded guilty to the terrorism charge.

Key Quotes: The Erie County District Attorney said after the hearing that "This racist murderer did not accomplish what he set out to do. Because today, this community is stronger and better than it ever was." A lawyer for Gendron said his guilty pleas represent "a condemnation of the racist ideology that fuelled his horrific actions."

How the Media Covered It: Left-rated sources focused more on the hate crime and racism aspects. Some right-rated sources, such as Fox News and Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias), tended to describe the charges against "the suspect," while left- and center-rated outlets tended to describe him as "the shooter" or "the gunman."

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