The mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York location of the Tops supermarket chain on May 14, 2022, is an event that might continue to haunt the families involved for a lifetime. Those families may feel a certain sense of closure following a guilty plea by suspect Payton Gendron at his state trial.
One local news source reports that Gendron admits to killing 10 people and injuring three others as a result of his actions that day. Attorneys Terry Connors of Connors LLP and Ben Crump, who represent the families of the deceased, provide their statements in reaction to the guilty plea.
Attorneys unsurprised by guilty plea
Connors and Crump agree that the guilty plea comes as no surprise, being an apparent inevitability as far back as four weeks prior to the trial. Connors explains that it comes as no surprise because “the evidence was overwhelming,” and that, “They hope to avoid the death penalty by demonstrating acceptance of responsibility.”
Federal trial could result in death penalty
While Gendron pleads guilty to state charges, the federal trial is still pending and may result in the death penalty. Attorney Crump expresses his stance that “this is a hate crime and it needs to be treated with the most severe of consequences, even if that means death.” Connors echoes this sentiment, saying about Gendron that there is no remorse in his voice and that, “His voice is the voice of evil.”
The federal court will continue to consult the families of the victims of the May 14 mass shooting. The attorneys representing those families remain involved and express an intent to urge the Attorney General to bring the full strength of the federal government against this crime.
