At approximately 2:30 p.m. EDT in the Kingsly neighborhood of eastern Buffalo, New York, a gunman shot first outside in the parking lot and then opened fire in a Tops supermarket. Wearing body armor and a helmet, the man live-streamed his attack on the Twitch platform before his feed was cut off. Four people were shot and three killed in the parking lot before he went inside, where he was confronted by the armed security guard who attempted to shoot and apprehend him. “Because he had heavily armored plating on, the bullet had no round. The suspect engaged our retired officer and he was shot and deceased at the scene. He continued to work his way through the store,” Buffalo Police Commissioner Gramaglia said (CNN). He then made his way back to the front of the store where police officers were able to detain him after talking him into dropping his weapon from his own neck.
The gunman allegedly had posted a manifesto online that contained “dozens of pages of antisemitic and racist memes, repeatedly citing the racist ‘great replacement’ conspiracy theory frequently pushed by white supremacists, which falsely claims white people are being ‘replaced’ in America as part of an elaborate Jewish conspiracy theory.” (NBC News). The gunman is “believed to have driven for some 200 miles to reach the predominantly black area of the city” (BBC News).
As of Monday, May 16, 2022, the investigation is still ongoing.
Date of event: May 14, 2022
Impact:
- 10 people killed
- 3 injured
Related Resources:
- Planning and Response to an Active Shooter: An Interagency Security Committee Policy and Best Practices Guide, 2021 Edition
- Policy Brief: Hate Crime Victim Support
- When the Shooting Stops: The Impact of Gun Violence on Survivors in America
HSDL Featured Topics: Active Shooters | Domestic (U.S.) Terrorism | Lone Wolf Terrorism
HSDL Search: Hate Crime | Mass Shooting | Domestic Terrorism | Violent Extremism
Photo credit: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons