Days after the May 14 racially motivated Buffalo shooting that injured 13 and claimed the lives of 10, President Biden and First Lady Jill arrived to speak with the victim’s families.
Today (May 17), Biden laid flowers at a makeshift memorial near the site of the deadly massacre. According to the White House, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, with state and local officials, will join the Bidens as they meet with the families.
On Sunday (May 15), the day after the brutal slaying, Biden tweeted, “Jill and I will travel to Buffalo on Tuesday to grieve with the community that lost ten lives in a senseless and horrific mass shooting.”
Reports add that Biden will formally address the situation this afternoon.
The attack happened over the weekend at a Tops Friendly Markets store located at 1275 Jefferson Ave. The growing memorial is at the base of a tree covered with bouquets of flowers, cards, posters, candles and other items that honor the victims.
Since the attack, tributes for those who were viciously gunned down by suspected gunman Payton S. Gendron have been pouring in nonstop.
Yesterday (May 16), political commentator, social justice advocate and lawyer Angela Rye shared her thoughts on the tragedy with a Twitter thread recognizing each of the lives lost.
“In honor of the victims of the Buffalo Massacre, please remember their faces and names. #BuffaloMassacre,” the post read as photos of each victim with their names and ages followed.
The 18-year-old suspect allegedly drove over 200 miles from Conklin, New York to Buffalo to find an area with the highest percentage of Black people to carry out the deadly plan.
For now, Gendron is charged with first-degree murder. Although he has already appeared in court and pleaded not guilty, additional charges are expected to be filed in the coming days.