Federal Hate Crimes Trial Jury Selection Starts for Buffalo Shooting

WHO:

CNN - Wayne Jones stated, “I really think that he should just sit and have to think about it year after year after year and just be miserable,” regarding his views on the death penalty for Gendron.

CNN - Zeneta Everhart mentioned, “Ten people died that day in an egregious way and in an awful, terrible, traumatic way,” reflecting on the impact of the shooting.

CNN - Payton Gendron is the shooter involved in the Buffalo supermarket shooting.

CNN - Wayne Jones is a victim's family member who plans to attend the trial.

CNN - Zeneta Everhart is a Buffalo Common Council member and mother of a shooting survivor.

CNN - Garnell Whitfield lost his 86-year-old mother, Ruth, in the shooting.

CNN - The victims included Celestine Chaney, Geraldine Talley, Katherine Massey, Pearl Young, Andre Mackneil, Heyward Patterson, Ruth Whitfield, Roberta Drury, Margus Morrison, and Aaron Salter.

WHAT:

CNN - Gendron's defense team stated, “At trial, we will offer mitigating evidence about Payton that the jury needs to consider in making its decision.”

CNN - The Justice Department decided to pursue a death sentence under President Joe Biden in 2024, marking the first capital case overseen by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland.

CNN - The FBI reported over 2,800 anti-Black hate crime incidents in 2025, nearly three times the number targeting Latinos.

CNN - Gendron's defense team stated, “Nothing will change the fact that Payton Gendron will die in prison,” emphasizing their goal to prevent execution.

CNN - The Justice Department rejected Gendron's proposal to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence in the federal case.

CNN - Jury selection is set to begin in a federal hate crimes trial against Payton Gendron.

CNN - Gendron faces over two dozen federal hate crime charges and more than a dozen firearms charges.

CNN - The shooting is believed to be the deadliest hate-motivated shooting targeting Black people by a lone gunman in the last century.

CNN - Gendron is already serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to state murder charges in a 2023 trial.

ABC News US - The trial could see Gendron receive the death penalty.

WHERE:

CNN - The shooting occurred at the Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, New York.

CNN - Gendron drove from Conklin, a predominantly White and rural town, to Buffalo.

WHEN:

CNN - The shooting took place on May 14, 2022.

CNN - Jury selection is set to begin on a Tuesday (exact date not specified).

WHY:

CNN - Zeneta Everhart stated, “This isn’t a shooting over a robbery or a domestic violence situation. This is domestic terrorism,” emphasizing the need for hate crime enhancements as a potential deterrent.

CNN - Zeneta Everhart described the shooting as “domestic terrorism,” highlighting the need for hate crime enhancements as a potential deterrent.

CNN - Gendron's attack was motivated by a desire to frighten non-White and non-Christian people into leaving the US, as indicated by his past social media posts and writings.

CNN - Gendron promoted a baseless “great replacement theory” that suggests people of color will replace White people through higher birth rates and immigration.

HOW:

CNN - Garnell Whitfield expressed hope that trial testimony would reveal more about “the support that he (Gendron) might have had, the radicalization, social media and societal ills that caused people to hate and be violent that are inherent in our society.”

CNN - Gendron fired around 60 shots from a semiautomatic rifle at employees and shoppers in the supermarket.

CNN - Gendron surrendered to police as he exited the supermarket after the shooting.

(UPDATED October 13, 2026 23:01 UTC)

In a significant development, Gendron's defense team announced plans to present mitigating evidence at trial, emphasizing the need for the jury to consider this information in their decision-making process. Meanwhile, the Justice Department has decided to pursue a death sentence under President Biden in 2024, which will be the first capital case overseen by Attorney General Merrick Garland. Additionally, the FBI reported over 2,800 anti-Black hate crime incidents in 2025, nearly three times the number targeting Latinos, highlighting the ongoing concerns about domestic terrorism and the societal factors contributing to such violence.

(UPDATED October 13, 2026 19:07 UTC)

In a recent discussion, Wayne Jones expressed that he believes Gendron should reflect on his actions for years to come, while Zeneta Everhart emphasized the tragic loss of ten lives in the shooting, describing it as an egregious and traumatic event. Gendron's defense team has stated that he will die in prison, aiming to prevent his execution, while the Justice Department has rejected his proposal to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. Everhart characterized the shooting as “domestic terrorism,” calling attention to the need for hate crime enhancements, and Garnell Whitfield hopes that trial testimony will shed light on the factors that contributed to Gendron's radicalization and the societal issues that foster hate and violence.

(UPDATED October 13, 2026 13:16 UTC)

Jury selection is set to begin in a federal hate crimes trial against Payton Gendron, who is facing over two dozen federal hate crime charges and more than a dozen firearms charges related to the deadly shooting at a Buffalo supermarket. The attack, which occurred at the Tops Friendly Market, is considered the deadliest hate-motivated shooting targeting Black people by a lone gunman in the last century, and Gendron is already serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to state murder charges in 2023. Family members of the victims, including Zeneta Everhart, a Buffalo Common Council member and mother of a survivor, and Garnell Whitfield, who lost his 86-year-old mother, are expected to attend the trial, where Gendron could potentially face the death penalty.