Federal death penalty trial begins for gunman who killed 10 Black people in Buffalo

Jury selection is underway as Payton Gendron faces hate crime and firearms charges stemming from the 2022 Tops supermarket massacre.

Jury selection began Tuesday, October 13, in the federal death penalty trial of Payton Gendron, the white supremacist who killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket in 2022. The 23-year-old is already serving life without parole after receiving his state sentence in February 2023.

According to the Associated Press, Gendron faces 27 federal charges, including hate crimes and firearms offenses, stemming from the May 14, 2022, massacre at Tops Friendly Market. He has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges, although his attorneys acknowledge his responsibility for the killings. They previously offered a guilty plea in exchange for avoiding the death penalty, but the Justice Department rejected the proposal.

Gendron was 18 when he drove more than 200 miles from his home in Conklin, New York, to a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo. Wearing body armor, he opened fire on shoppers and employees, killing 10 people and injuring three others.

Investigators uncovered racist writings and online posts revealing that he had planned the attack around white supremacist beliefs, including the baseless “great replacement” conspiracy theory.

The prospect of a death sentence has divided victims’ families.

Wayne Jones Sr., whose mother, Celestine Chaney, was among those killed, said he would rather see Gendron spend the rest of his life in prison.

“I really think that he should just sit and have to think about it year after year after year and just be miserable,” Jones told AP.

Other relatives have expressed support for capital punishment, while survivors and their families continue dealing with the consequences of the attack.

Prospective jurors are being questioned about their views on the death penalty and whether they can fairly consider the case.

The federal death penalty trial is expected to move into its next phase in December and continue through February 2027.