Federal jury selection opens more than four years after a racist supermarket massacre killed 10 Black Americans, reopening questions about accountability, racial hatred and capital punishment.
By David LaGuerre | Utica Phoenix | October 13, 2026
BUFFALO, N.Y. The Buffalo hate crimes trial entered a critical new stage Tuesday, October 13, as jury selection began in the federal prosecution of Payton Gendron, the white supremacist responsible for killing 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket in 2022. Already serving life in prison without parole following his state convictions, Gendron now faces a possible federal death sentence. The proceedings will determine whether he receives the federal government’s most severe punishment for an attack that devastated families and exposed the deadly consequences of racist extremism.
For the families of those killed, the trial represents another difficult chapter in a tragedy that has never truly ended. For the nation, it raises a question that reaches beyond the courtroom: What does justice look like when the crime is already established, the offender will never walk free, and the government is seeking his execution?
What Happened in the Buffalo Supermarket Shooting?
On May 14, 2022, Gendron, then 18, drove more than 200 miles from Conklin, New York, to the Tops Friendly Markets supermarket on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo. The store served a predominantly Black neighborhood on the city’s East Side.
Armed with a semiautomatic rifle and wearing tactical equipment, Gendron opened fire on shoppers and employees. He killed 10 Black people and wounded three others. Investigators determined that the attack was planned and motivated by white supremacist beliefs. Gendron had embraced racist conspiracy theories, including the baseless claim that white Americans were being deliberately replaced by people of color and immigrants. He also livestreamed the violence.
The shooting was not a random act against an unknown location. Investigators found evidence that Gendron had selected the neighborhood because of its Black population.
Remembering the 10 Lives Lost
The people murdered that afternoon were parents, grandparents, neighbors, workers and friends:
- Celestine Chaney, 65
- Roberta Drury, 32
- Andre Mackneil, 53
- Katherine Massey, 72
- Margus Morrison, 52
- Heyward Patterson, 67
- Geraldine Talley, 62
- Aaron Salter Jr., 55
- Ruth Whitfield, 86
- Pearl Young, 77
Aaron Salter Jr., a retired Buffalo police officer working as a security guard, attempted to stop the attacker. Their names remain central to a case that has become a defining example of the human cost of domestic racial extremism.
Why Is There Another Buffalo Hate Crimes Trial?
Gendron pleaded guilty in November 2022 to New York state charges including first-degree murder, attempted murder and domestic terrorism motivated by hate. In February 2023, he received a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The federal government brought separate charges under federal civil rights and firearms laws.
State prosecutors pursued murder and terrorism charges under New York law. Federal prosecutors seek accountability for violations of federal laws protecting people from violence motivated by race. Under the legal principle known as dual sovereignty, state and federal governments may pursue separate prosecutions for conduct that violates their respective laws.
What Federal Charges Does Gendron Face?
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the federal indictment contains 27 counts: 10 hate-crime counts resulting in death, three hate-crime counts involving attempts to kill injured survivors, one hate-crime count alleging attempts to kill additional Black people, and 13 firearm counts connected with the alleged hate crimes.
The Justice Department announced its decision to seek the federal death penalty in January 2024. Gendron’s attorneys have indicated that they do not intend to dispute his responsibility for the attack. Their defense will focus on persuading jurors that he should not be executed, making punishment a central issue in the proceedings.
The Death Penalty Divides Buffalo Families
Some relatives believe the severity and deliberate racial motivation of the massacre justify the death penalty. Others believe Gendron should remain imprisoned for life rather than face execution. Both positions reflect deeply personal understandings of justice.
Zeneta Everhart, a Buffalo Common Council member whose son, Zaire Goodman, survived the shooting, has expressed reservations about celebrating an execution. Her perspective reflects the complicated emotions around a case in which another legal judgment cannot restore the lives taken or erase the lasting effects of the attack.
Why Can Federal Prosecutors Seek Execution in New York?
New York does not currently have an enforceable state death penalty, but federal capital punishment operates under a separate legal system. Federal law allows prosecutors to seek a death sentence for certain offenses, including qualifying hate crimes resulting in death. A federal jury must consider applicable legal standards before any death sentence can be imposed. A capital prosecution does not make execution inevitable.
How Jury Selection Will Shape the Federal Trial
The Buffalo massacre received extensive attention. Potential jurors may already know about the attack, Gendron’s state guilty plea and the public debate about capital punishment. The court must determine whether prospective jurors can evaluate the federal case fairly and follow the judge’s instructions.
In a death penalty case, jurors’ views about capital punishment are particularly important. The process, known as voir dire, allows attorneys and the court to ask about possible bias and the ability to consider available sentencing options.
U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo is overseeing proceedings in the Western District of New York. Under the court’s September 28 scheduling order, jury selection begins October 13 at the Robert H. Jackson United States Courthouse in Buffalo. Presentation of evidence is scheduled to follow jury selection.
Why the Buffalo Shooting Still Matters Across New York
The Buffalo attack was carried out in Western New York, but its significance extends across the state, including Utica, Rome and the Mohawk Valley. It demonstrated how racist beliefs promoted online can develop into real-world violence. The case raises questions about social media platforms, recognizing credible threats and identifying extremist behavior before violence occurs.
A Warning About Online Radicalization
Investigators found that Gendron had consumed and promoted racist material before the attack. His writings reflected the so-called great replacement conspiracy theory, a false narrative claiming demographic changes are part of an organized effort to eliminate white political and cultural influence. Preventing extremism also requires protecting constitutional rights and distinguishing lawful expression from criminal conduct. Public safety and civil liberties should not be treated as opposing goals.
What This Means for Utica and the Mohawk Valley
Utica is home to people from many racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, including longtime Black families, immigrants and refugees. Community safety depends on more than responding after violence occurs. It requires trust between residents and law enforcement, education about discrimination and credible systems for reporting threats. Residents who encounter threatening behavior or suspected hate crimes can contact local law enforcement or use the Justice Department’s hate-crime resources.
What Happens Next in the Buffalo Hate Crimes Trial?
With jury selection beginning October 13, the federal court will move toward presentation of evidence. Prosecutors will present their case under the federal indictment, and defense attorneys will have an opportunity to challenge evidence and present arguments relevant to sentencing. If the proceedings reach a capital sentencing phase, jurors will consider legally relevant factors before deciding whether a death sentence is warranted.
Whatever the federal outcome, Gendron’s existing New York sentence of life imprisonment without parole remains in place. For the families, however, the court calendar tells only part of the story. Their lives changed permanently on May 14, 2022.
Justice Must Also Mean Remembering
The Buffalo massacre was an attack on innocent people because they were Black. The federal trial will test the justice system’s response, including whether capital punishment is appropriate. Reasonable people, including victims’ relatives, disagree on that question. What should not be disputed is the importance of remembering those killed, supporting survivors and confronting hatred.
For readers across New York, including the Mohawk Valley, the responsibility includes rejecting racist threats, supporting victims, reporting credible dangers and building communities where every resident can shop, work, worship and live without fear. The 10 people killed in Buffalo deserve to be remembered for their lives, not merely for the terrible way those lives ended.
