"There is no place for you and your ignorant, hateful and evil ideologies in a civilized society. There can be no mercy for you, no understanding, no second chances," Erie County Court Judge Susan Egan told Payton Gendron during a livestreamed hearing. "The damage you have caused is too great. And the people you have hurt are too valuable to this community. You will never see the light of day as a free man ever again."
The sentencing was tense and emotional particularly as family members of the deceased and survivors made impact statements detailing the tremendous destruction the May 14 attack had on their loved ones before Egan was sentenced.
At one point, Gendron was removed from the courtroom after he was charged by a man while those who lost loved ones in the mass shooting gave their impact statement. The individual was quickly restrained, with testimonies resuming about 10 minutes afterwards.
Gendron still faces 27 felony charges in federal court, including several counts of hate crimes that resulted in death. He has pleaded not guilty.
Gendron committed the 14 May 2022 rampage at the Tops Friendly Markets supermarket in the Kingsley area. Ten people were killed and three others injured; most of the dead were African-American.
At the time of the massacre, the gunman was broadcasting online. Before the attack, he wrote a manifesto in which he described himself as a supporter of white supremacy. He kept a personal online diary. According to police, the convict was not from Buffalo and had driven three and a half hours to the scene of the shooting from his hometown.