10 dead in mass shooting at Buffalo supermarket

By Adrienne Vogt, Joe Ruiz and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 9:20 p.m. ET, May 14, 2022
21 Posts
Sort byDropdown arrow
9:14 p.m. ET, May 14, 2022

10 people were killed in a Buffalo supermarket today. Here's what we know.

Police vehicles block off the street where at least 10 people were killed in a mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket.
Police vehicles block off the street where at least 10 people were killed in a mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket. (Derek Gee/The Buffalo News/AP)

Ten people were killed in a racially motivated mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo on Saturday by a suspect in tactical gear who was livestreaming the attack, law enforcement officials said during a news conference.

Here's what we know so far about the attack:

  • How the attack unfolded: Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said the suspect drove to the Tops Friendly Markets store around 2:30 p.m. ET. Wearing tactical gear, he shot four people in the parking lot, Gramaglia said, and then went inside the store, where a security guard engaged him. The suspect shot and killed the guard and then "continued to work his way through the store," Gramaglia said.
  • About the victims: A total of 13 people were shot, 10 fatally, officials said Saturday. Four of the people who were shot were store employees, including the security guard. Out of the 13 victims, 11 are Black while two are White, according to Gramaglia said.
  • There's a hate crime investigation: Saturday's mass shooting in Buffalo is being investigated as a hate crime, the FBI said. Officials did not elaborate. At a news conference, Stephen Belongia, special agent in charge of the FBI Buffalo field office, said, "We will bring all of the resources of the federal government to bear on this case. This is the number one priority of the Department of Justice, and I can assure the citizens of this community that anything that we can do at the federal level, with this case will be done. And justice will be served for the victims."
  • The shooting was livestreamed: Twitch, the popular livestreaming platform best known for gaming, confirmed on Saturday that the shooting suspect used its platform to stream a live broadcast during the attack. CNN has obtained a portion of the Twitch livestream that shows the shooter pulling up to the market.
  • Officials are reviewing a possible manifesto: Two federal law enforcement officials told CNN that investigators are reviewing a purported manifesto posted online in connection with the Buffalo mass shooting probe.
  • The suspect was arraigned: The suspect was arraigned Saturday evening in Buffalo City Court Chief Judge Craig Hannah's courtroom, the judge told CNN. The suspect was charged with first-degree murder, Hannah said.
  • What happens next: The suspect's next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday at 9:30 a.m. ET, the judge said. 

Read more here.

8:51 p.m. ET, May 14, 2022

Justice Department investigating shooting as a hate crime

The US Department of Justice is investigating Saturday’s shooting in Buffalo “as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism,” US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement

“The Justice Department is committed to conducting a thorough and expeditious investigation into this shooting and to seeking justice for these innocent victims," he said in the statement.

Stephen Belongia, special agent in charge of the FBI Buffalo field office, also said the incident was being investigated as a hate crime at an earlier news conference on Saturday.

9:16 p.m. ET, May 14, 2022

Suspect arraigned in Buffalo supermarket shooting

From CNN’s Sabrina Shulman and Artemis Moshtaghian

The suspect in the shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, was arraigned Saturday evening, Buffalo City Court Chief Judge Craig Hannah told CNN.

The suspect, identified as Payton Gendron, 18, was charged with first-degree murder and arraigned in Hannah’s courtroom, the judge said.

The suspect's next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday at 9:30 a.m. ET, Hannah said.

The judge said that the district attorney’s office plans to indict the suspect and add additional charges.

"Justice is already being done, immediately," Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said at a news conference Saturday night.

"This individual has been arraigned on murder in the first degree, which is the highest charge — murder charge in New York state. It carries with it a sentence of life without parole, the highest punishment we have a New York state. He was remanded. The judge ordered a forensic examination. A felony hearing will now take place in five days. And then the investigation continues."

Flynn said the judge was called up to arraign the suspect tonight.

"We are now investigating terrorism charges, other murder charges, along with working with our partners in the federal government so that they can perhaps file charges as well. So I assure everyone in this community, justice is being done right now and justice will be done," Flynn said.

8:57 p.m. ET, May 14, 2022

This was "a military-style execution targeting people who simply want to buy groceries," NY governor says

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks at a news conference.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks at a news conference. (Spectrum News)

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul expressed outrage following the "military-style execution" at a Buffalo supermarket.

"I'm angry. I have seen violence from guns on the Brooklyn subway and now on the streets of Buffalo. It has to stop. It has to stop," she said.

"A military-style execution targeting people who simply want to buy groceries in a neighborhood store. It strikes us to our very hearts to know that there is such evil that looks out there," she said at a news conference.

Hochul said it is her "sincere hope" that the suspect, who is facing a charge of murder in first degree, "will spend the rest of the day his days behind bars." 

"Heaven help him in the next world as well," she added.

Watch the moment:

7:50 p.m. ET, May 14, 2022

Twitch says livestream of mass shooting was removed in under two minutes

From CNN’s Brian Stelter

A spokesperson for Twitch said that the company removed the livestream by the Buffalo supermarket mass shooting suspect less than two minutes after the attack started. 

Social media companies have struggled to keep up with a torrent of violent content on their platforms, so Twitch's performance may be applauded by some, while still criticized by others. 

The company did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about whether the suspect was still actively firing when the livestream was halted.

7:32 p.m. ET, May 14, 2022

Livestream of shooting shows gunman pulling up to supermarket and saying, "Just got to go for it"

From CNN's Sharif Paget

CNN has obtained a portion of the Twitch livestream that shows the shooter pulling up to a Tops Friendly Markets store in Buffalo, New York, before opening fire on people Saturday afternoon.

The video is taken from the point of view of the shooter as he's driving into the parking lot of the Tops market. The shooter, who is seen in the rearview mirror wearing a helmet, is heard saying, "Just got to go for it" before he pulls into the front of the store. In the video, store patrons can be seen walking through the parking lot as the suspect drives up. 

In a news conference on Saturday evening, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said the shooting was livestreamed.  

In a statement sent to CNN, Twitch confirmed the shooting was streamed and said the user "has been indefinitely suspended from our service, and we are taking all appropriate action, including monitoring for any accounts rebroadcasting this content."

CNN is not airing the video at this time.

7:04 p.m. ET, May 14, 2022

Buffalo supermarket shooting live-streamed on Twitch, platform says

From CNN’s Brian Stelter

Twitch, the popular live-streaming platform best known for gaming, confirmed on Saturday that the Buffalo supermarket shooting suspect used its platform to stream a live broadcast during the attack. 

"We are devastated to hear about the shooting that took place this afternoon in Buffalo, New York," the company said. "Our hearts go out to the community impacted by this tragedy. Twitch has a zero-tolerance policy against violence of any kind and works swiftly to respond to all incidents."

Twitch said that the user "has been indefinitely suspended from our service, and we are taking all appropriate action, including monitoring for any accounts rebroadcasting this content."

Officials during a news conference earlier Saturday did not say where the livestream was, only that it was on a "social media platform," according to Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn.

7:39 p.m. ET, May 14, 2022

Homeland Security secretary briefed on Buffalo shooting

From CNN's Gregory Clary

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has been briefed on the shooting in Buffalo, according to an official tweet from the department.

“DHS is actively coordinating with all relevant local, state, and federal agencies and will continue to provide the Department’s full support,” according to the tweet.

7:15 p.m. ET, May 14, 2022

Erie County DA says Buffalo shooting suspect will be arraigned on charge of murder in first degree tonight

From CNN's Sabrina Shulman and Samantha Beech in New York 

Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn speaks at a press conference after a shooting at a supermarket on in Buffalo, NY.
Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn speaks at a press conference after a shooting at a supermarket on in Buffalo, NY. (Joshua Bessex/AP)

Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn said the suspect in the Buffalo mass shooting will be arraigned on charge of murder in first degree Saturday evening. 

Speaking at a press conference with other officials, Flynn said, “I have already called a judge – Judge [Craig] Hannah – to come downtown immediately and arraign this individual so within the next hour; this individual will be arraigned on a charge of murder in the first degree.”

Officials have not named the suspect in the mass shooting thus far.