US: FBI investigating Buffalo supermarket shooting as 'racially motivated hate crime'
May 15, 2022
New York [US], May 15 : The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) suspects that the shooting in the city of Buffalo, where ten people were killed and three others were injured, was a racially motivated hate crime, Stephen Belongia, special agent in charge of the FBI's Buffalo field office said on Saturday.
"We are investigating this incident as both a hate crime and a case of racially motivated violent extremism," Belongia said during a briefing, reported Sputnik media.
According to the official, the perpetrator is now in custody. As per a tweet from Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, Buffalo police responded to the scene of an "active multiple shooting event" at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Street in the city.
Buffalo Police Department gave out the information regarding the incident in a tweet and urged people to avoid the area. "BPD on scene of a mass shooting at the Tops in the 1200 block of Jefferson Avenue," it tweeted adding, "Police say multiple people have been struck by gunfire. The shooter is in custody. Motorists and residents are urged to avoid the area."
Expressing condolence in a tweet after the incident, Erie County Sheriff's Office stated that Sheriff John Garcia "has ordered all available resources and personnel to assist" police, as per the media portal.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that she is taking stock of the situation. In a tweet, she wrote, "I am closely monitoring the shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo. We have offered assistance to local officials. If you are in Buffalo, please avoid the area and follow guidance from law enforcement and local officials."
