Buffalo Store Shooting – Ten Killed at Tops Supermarket as Federal Prosecution Continues

The Buffalo Tops supermarket shooting remains one of the most devastating acts of racial violence in modern New York history, more than four years after 10 Black people were killed at a grocery store on the city’s East Side.

The attack took place on May 14, 2022, at a Tops Friendly Markets supermarket on Jefferson Avenue. Three other people were wounded.

The gunman, Payton Gendron, has already been sentenced in New York state court to life imprisonment without parole. His separate federal case remains active, however, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

In the latest development, jury selection in the federal case has been moved to October 13, 2026, after previously being scheduled for August. The federal trial is expected to begin once a jury has been seated.

What Happened at the Buffalo Tops Supermarket?

On May 14, 2022, Gendron traveled to Buffalo and opened fire inside and outside the Tops supermarket on Jefferson Avenue.

The attack was racially motivated. The victims were Black members of the East Buffalo community, and federal prosecutors have charged Gendron under federal hate-crime and firearms laws.

Ten people were killed and three others were wounded.

The attack was also livestreamed online, bringing national and international attention to the shooting and its racist motivation.

The Ten Victims

The people killed in the Tops shooting included members of the East Buffalo community who were shopping, working or carrying out ordinary activities that Saturday afternoon.

Among those killed were Aaron Salter Jr., Ruth Whitfield, Katherine Massey, Heyward Patterson, Pearl Young, Celestine Chaney, Roberta Drury, Margus Morrison, Andre Mackneil and Geraldine Talley.

Their deaths devastated families and friends and had a profound effect on Buffalo’s East Side.

The victims included mothers, grandmothers, community members, a church deacon, a retired police officer working as a security guard and other residents who were simply going about their day.

The Three People Who Survived Being Shot

Three people were also wounded during the attack.

Their survival became an important part of the subsequent investigation and prosecution, with survivors and victims’ families continuing to live with the consequences of the violence.

Federal prosecutors have sought to include injuries to surviving victims among the aggravating factors that could be considered during the federal death-penalty proceedings. A recent Second Circuit ruling reinstated several racial-hatred-related aggravating factors for the federal case.

Payton Gendron’s State Case

Gendron pleaded guilty in New York state court in November 2022 to murder and domestic terrorism charges arising from the attack.

He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Because New York does not have a death penalty, that sentence did not resolve the separate federal prosecution.

The federal government later pursued hate-crime and firearms charges that carry the possibility of a federal death sentence.

Federal Death Penalty Case

The federal prosecution is focused on whether Gendron should receive a federal sentence that could include death.

The Justice Department announced in January 2024 that federal prosecutors would seek the death penalty.

The federal indictment contains numerous hate-crime and firearms counts arising from the massacre.

Gendron is already serving his state life sentence, but the federal prosecution could result in a separate capital sentence if he is convicted of the applicable capital charges and the jury ultimately determines that a death sentence is warranted.

Federal Trial Remains in Buffalo

The federal trial will take place in Buffalo.

A federal judge rejected efforts to move the proceeding to New York City, while prosecutors had also argued against moving it away from Buffalo because many victims’ families, friends and witnesses live in the area.

In March 2026, the judge ruled that the trial would remain in Buffalo.

Jury Selection Delayed Until October

Jury selection was originally scheduled to begin in August 2026.

That schedule has since changed.

The latest reporting indicates that jury selection is now expected to begin on October 13, 2026. The process could take several weeks, with the federal trial beginning after a jury is selected.

The proceedings are expected to include both a guilt phase and, if necessary, a separate penalty phase.

Why the Federal Case Matters

The federal prosecution is distinct from the state case already resolved against Gendron.

The state prosecution established his responsibility for the murders and resulted in multiple life sentences.

The federal case centers on federal hate-crime and firearms violations and carries the possibility of a federal death sentence.

The case therefore remains legally significant even though Gendron is already imprisoned for life under the New York state sentence.

Buffalo Continues to Remember the Victims

For families in Buffalo, the legal proceedings are only one part of the aftermath.

The victims’ names continue to be remembered throughout the East Buffalo community, where the shooting caused profound grief.

The Tops supermarket itself became a symbol of both the violence and the community’s determination to remember those who died.

Memorials and anniversary commemorations have continued in the years since the attack.

Buffalo Tops Shooting Details

Is There a Buffalo Store Shooting Today?

The phrase “Buffalo store shooting today” can be misleading because the Tops supermarket shooting itself occurred in 2022, not August 31, 2026.

The current news surrounding the case concerns the continuing federal prosecution of Gendron and preparations for the federal death-penalty trial.

There is no basis in the current reporting to describe the Tops massacre as a new shooting occurring today.

Conclusion

The Buffalo Tops supermarket shooting remains a painful chapter in the city’s history.

On May 14, 2022, ten Black people were killed and three others were wounded in a racially motivated attack at the Tops supermarket on Jefferson Avenue.

Payton Gendron has already received a state sentence of life without parole, but his federal prosecution remains unresolved.

The federal government is seeking the death penalty, and jury selection is now scheduled to begin October 13, 2026, with the trial expected to follow in Buffalo.

For the families of the victims and the wider East Buffalo community, the continuing proceedings represent another stage in a long effort to obtain justice while preserving the memory of the ten people whose lives were taken.

Disclaimer

This article concerns the 2022 Buffalo Tops supermarket shooting and the continuing federal prosecution in 2026. It does not report a new shooting at the Tops supermarket on August 31, 2026. Court proceedings, scheduling and other legal details may change as the federal case progresses.