Grand jury returns 25-count indictment for Buffalo shooting suspect: Source
A grand jury in Erie County, New York, has returned an indictment against alleged Buffalo supermarket shooter Payton Gendron.
The 25-count indictment charges the 18-year-old with carrying out a "domestic act of terrorism motivated by hate," according to a copy of the indictment obtained by Buffalo ABC affiliate WKBW.
The indictment said Gendron fatally shot 10 Black people inside a Tops supermarket on May 14 "because of the perceived race and/or color" of the victims.
In addition to the 10 slain, three others were injured in the mass shooting.
The indictment also includes 10 counts of first-degree murder, 10 counts of second-degree murder as a hate crime, three counts of attempted murder as a hate crime and one count of criminal possession of a weapon.
Gendron is due to be arraigned on the indictment Thursday afternoon, at which time he is expected to enter a plea.
Gendron had previously been indicted on a first-degree murder charge. He pleaded not guilty to that charge and was held without bail.
Gendron allegedly drove several hours from his home in Conklin, New York, specifically to target the predominantly Black community in what law enforcement has called a racially motivated attack.
The FBI is also conducting an investigation, which the Department of Justice said could lead to federal hate crime and terrorism charges.
Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff attended a memorial service on Saturday for the oldest person killed: 86-year-old Ruth Whitfield.
"I do believe that our nation right now is experiencing an epidemic of hate," Harris said during the service.
"No one should ever be made to fight alone. We are stronger than those who are trying to hurt us think that we are," Harris said.
ABC’s Aaron Katersky reports:
