15 People Joined Suspected Buffalo Shooters Discord Private Chat Shortly Before The Shooting
The Erie County Grand Jury voted to indict defendant Payton Gendron "with respect to the felony lawsuit filed on or around May 14, 2022," according the affidavit. Erie County DA John Flynn indicated in a statement that the grand jury investigation is not complete.
Gendron, a Conklin, New York resident, pleaded not guilty to the charge of first-degree killing. Other charges are expected. The charge of first-degree murder covers two or more murders in Buffalo, a spokesperson for the DA's office told CNN.
Gendron was indicted during a court appearance on Thursday. He was ordered to remain without bail until further action by a grand jury. As he entered the courtroom, he was wearing an orange jumpsuit and a mask with white features and was surrounded by officers.
His next court appearance is scheduled to be June 9. Defense attorney Brian Parker had no comment.
Gendron was led to his car after his court appearance. A crowd shouted, Payton, you're an ogre!
Payton Gendron is the suspect in the Buffalo shooting.
Gendron is accused for driving nearly 200 miles from his home to kill 10 people, and injure three others in a shooting targeting a Tops grocery in a predominantly Black neighborhood. Authorities are investigating the shooting as hate crime and racially motivated violent extremeism. 11 of the 13 victims were Black.
Officials said that the FBI completed its crime scene investigation at the store and released it to its owners. John Persons, President of Tops and COO of the supermarket, said that he would reopen the store as soon as possible. This was in recognition of its importance in the "food drought" that has limited access to other grocery options.
Persons stated that they want to ensure it is done correctly and that it is opened in a respectful way. "We will balance all these priorities."
Officials investigate red flag laws and social media sites
New York officials want to know how the suspect was able get guns and how it was communicated online.
Officials stated that Gendron's June project on murder-suicides was a warning sign for potential violence. It was done as a school project at Susquehanna Valley Central high School in Conklin.
Police were called and Gendron was taken to the hospital for a mental assessment. He was later released. At the time, police didn't seek a "red flag" order of protection against Gendron.
The red flag law, also known as the Extreme Risk Protection Order law, is designed to prevent anyone who shows signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing a firearm, New York's website states.
Beau Duffy, spokesperson New York State Police, stated that because the evaluation wasn't an involuntary obligation, it didn't prevent the suspected shooter purchasing or possessing guns under federal law.
New York Attorney General launches investigation into social media platforms in the wake of the Buffalo shooting
Governor. Kathy Hochul, the governor, has proposed a gun laws package and other changes in law enforcement protocol when someone is a danger to others or themselves. Hochul announced Wednesday that she would sign an executive ordering requiring the state police to file an "extreme-risk order of protection" under red flag law if they believe an individual is a danger to themselves, others, or themselves.
The gun laws package would aim to close loopholes around specific types of guns that fall outside current regulations, including high-powered, concealable guns and those that can be modified to hold high-capacity magazines, she said.
The proposed legislation would remedy "just one of those enormous loopholes that you can drive a truck through," she said.
In addition, New York Attorney General Letitia James launched an investigation into the social media platforms allegedly used by the suspect, including Discord.
A Discord spokesperson said the company will cooperate with the state attorney general's investigation.
In online posts by Gendron on Discord and in a 180-page document investigators believe he wrote, he described himself as a White supremacist, fascist and anti-Semite. He claimed he targeted the Buffalo supermarket due to its high concentration of Black people. He also said that he subscribed "replacement theory," which is a conspiracy theory that claims elites are trying replace White people with nonwhite immigrants.
The investigation has been made more interesting by the suspect's social media posts, which provide details about how he planned the attack and his motives.
In posts first shared on Discord, then more widely on the hate-filled online forum 4Chan, Gendron said he visited the grocery store multiple times on March 8 to learn its layout. Gendron noted the number of Black and White shoppers during his visits to the grocery store and created a map of its interior, according his posts. DISCORD SERVERS
The suspect also livestreamed a portion of the shooting on Twitch. Although the company claimed it removed the video within minutes of its posting, social media companies were still struggling to stop its spread.
James' probe, disclosed Wednesday by her office, focuses on Twitch, Discord and the websites 4chan and 8chan (now known as 8kun). James stated that the investigation could also include other unnamed companies.
Hochul will be informed by James about the results of the investigation.
"These social networks must accept responsibility. They must be more vigilant about monitoring the content and they should be held accountable for prioritizing engagement over public safety," said Governor.
Hochul urged James to investigate "whether specific companies are civil or criminally liable for their role promoting, facilitating, or providing an opportunity to plan and promote violence."
