Buffalo Supermarket Shooting: Grand Jury Indicts Accused Shooter

BUFFALO, NY — The man accused of killing 10 people at a Buffalo supermarket appeared in court Thursday as a grand jury indicted him on a first-degree murder charge, according to a report.

Payton Gendron, 18, of Conklin, New York, was charged after police said he walked into Tops Market on Buffalo's Jefferson Avenue and opened fire. Wearing body armor and a camera to livestream the attack, Gendron eventually surrendered to authorities.

Payt0n Gendron, wearing an orange jail uniform and a mask, was silent during the one-minute proceeding attended by some relatives of the victims, The Associated Press reported. Someone shouted "Payton, you’re a coward!" as he was led out.

Gendron is being held in jail without bail.

Thirteen people were shot Saturday when police say Gendron opened fire at the supermarket located in a predominantly Black neighborhood.

Shortly before the attack, authorities said Gendron posted hundreds of pages of writings on social media platforms, identifying the supermarket as "attack area 1" and naming two other Buffalo locations where he planned to "shoot all blacks."

In New York, prosecutors can charge a defendant with first-degree murder only under special circumstances, including when multiple people are killed in a single incident, like in the Buffalo shooting.

The single count against Gendron covers all 10 deaths at the supermarket. Gendron could also face terrorism and hate crime charges.

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday announced her office was investigating social media platforms authorities say Gendron used to promote, plan and stream Saturday's attack.

According to a statement by James, her office plans to investigate Twitch, 4chan, 8chan, Discord, and other platforms used by the shooter to "amplify this attack."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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