Shooting in Buffalo Reminder of Need for Action on Gun Violence

Washington DC —Today, at least ten people were killed at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York by a gunman reportedly armed with a rifle and body armor. Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, continues to monitor the situation. Unconfirmed media reports suggest that the shooter may have posted a white supremacist manifesto online before the shooting, which occurred in a predominantly Black neighborhood. 

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords:

“I’m devastated and I’m furious. Ten people murdered and three others injured while going about their weekends in a grocery store. Eleven of the 13 individuals shot today were Black, in a shooting that appears to have been motivated by white supremacist hate, and perpetrated by an individual who reportedly traveled hours to inflict tremendous devastation and pain. It’s far too easy for people fueled by racist hate to access weapons of war and commit devastation on a massive scale. Our leaders must strengthen our nation’s gun laws to prevent other communities across the country from experiencing similar trauma and devastation.”

Witnesses described the shooter as as a white male in his late teens or early twenties dressed in military-style clothing. Police said the gunman, whom they identified as an 18-year-old man from outside the city, had streamed the shooting live online. The FBI is investigating the incident as a hate crime. 

Giffords Senior Advisor and former firearms executive Ryan Busse:

“Today’s tragedy is horrifying, but unfortunately not surprising. Fifteen years ago, at the behest of the NRA, the firearms industry took a dark turn when it started marketing increasingly aggressive and militaristic guns and tactical gear. Reasonable gun owners tried to slow it then but were shouted down. Since then, the trend has only accelerated and now is combined with an embrace of frighteningly extreme politicians, violent social media accounts and dangerous comment threads. They have set the course for the tragedy in Buffalo and sadly, for those that are yet to come.”

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