Mass Shooting At Buffalo Supermarket In New York Leaves At Least 10 Dead, Suspect In Custody

Law enforcement officials said the suspect sported a rifle and body armor, and may have been livestreaming the shooting. They are investigating if the shooting was racially motivated.

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New Delhi: Multiple people were shot at and at least ten of them died when a gunman opened fire Saturday afternoon at a supermarket in New York's Buffalo. Police said the alleged shooter has been taken into custody. The gunman was sporting a rifle and body armor, news agency Associated Press reported, quoting law enforcement officials. The incident took place at Tops Friendly Market. Details on the number of additional people shot at and their conditions were not immediately available, the report said.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an official told AP that the man may have been livestreaming the shooting, adding that they were looking into whether he had posted a manifesto online. The official sought to specify that the investigation was in its preliminary stages, and that they hadn’t yet ascertained a clear motive yet. He, however, said they were investigating if the shooting was racially motivated.

Governor Kathy Hochul tweeted that she was “closely monitoring the shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo”, which is her hometown. 

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.

— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) May 14, 2022

The supermarket located is in a predominately Black neighborhood, about 5 km north of downtown Buffalo, and the surrounding area is primarily residential. A Family Dollar store and a fire station are located near the store, the AP report said.

In a tweet, the Buffalo police confirmed that the shooter was in custody, but did not identify him. 

BREAKING: BPD on scene of a mass shooting at the Tops in the 1200 block of Jefferson Avenue. Police say multiple people have been struck by gunfire. The shooter is in custody. Motorists and residents are urged to avoid the area.

— Buffalo Police Dept (@BPDAlerts) May 14, 2022

Quoting witnesses, an official told AP that the gunman was wearing "military-style clothing" in addition to the body armor.

Local residents Braedyn Kephart and Shane Hill, who had pulled into the parking lot when the shooter was exiting, described him as a white male in his late teens or early twenties. He was sporting full camo, a black helmet and was carrying what appeared to be a rifle, according to the report.

"He was standing there with the gun to his chin. We were like what the heck is going on? Why does this kid have a gun to his face?” Kephart was quoted as saying. As the police approached, he dropped to his knees, "ripped off his helmet, dropped his gun, and was tackled by the police".