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Illinois

Bells ring for victims of Buffalo supermarket shooting, one year after massacre

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Zaire Goodman, standing in the same parking lot where he was shot in the neck after a racist assault at a Buffalo supermarket a year ago, said a local resident said Sunday. He said he was grateful to see them gathered at the memorial site.

His family and those affected by the shooting have joined state and local officials, early Gathered with responders, religious leaders. – One year anniversary from the mass shooting.

Goodman, a 21-year-old shop worker who was shot while collecting carts outside, has returned to the market many times since, questioning whether it should reopen in the weeks following the massacre. There were people, so I visited during the renovation.

“I just wanted to show people that it’s okay. We don’t have to close the shop indefinitely,” he said. “We know this store is still important to people in the area.”

Mayor Byron Brown read the names of the 13 victims and observed a moment of silence. A first responder then rang her 13 times. Brown, Governor Kathy Hochol, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made speeches.

“It’s a wonderful day. It’s Mother’s Day,” Ho-chul said. “And the cruel irony behind that fact is that at the same time as the day we celebrate the life of mothering someone into this world, we also come here to celebrate the lives of those who are no longer in this world. It’s also a day to think.

Earlier this week, panelists discussed ways to combat racism and social media radicalization, and residents were invited to reflect at an outdoor community gathering.

After Sunday’s ceremony, Goodman recalled crossing the street for safety after being injured and calling her mother on the way.

“Hey, you gotta go here,” he told her.

Since then, Goodman’s mother, Zeneta Everhart, and relatives of other victims have addressed Congress on white supremacy and gun reform, and the market, the only grocery store in the neighborhood, has been inaccessible for two months. organized an event to address food insecurity exacerbated by

President Joe Biden honored the lives of those killed in Buffalo in an op-ed published in USA Today. He called on Congress and state legislators to take steps to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require background checks on all gun sales, and eliminate gun manufacturer immunity. The administration passed groundbreaking gun laws in June after a series of mass shootings.

New York law already prohibits magazines containing more than 10 rounds.

Gun control and advocacy groups, including Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, held nearly 200 events across the country last weekend to urge Congress to reinstate the bipartisan assault weapon ban.

In Buffalo, Wayne Jones, whose mother Celestine Cheney, 65, was killed in an attack, urged the city and its agencies to continue investing in communities and residents long after the memorial service ended.

That’s why he’s going to keep “opening up this wound he’s holding” and talking about it, he said.

After the memorial service, adults visited the tents and provided information on mental health and other community support.

Buffalo’s Rosemary Glover recalled the pain she felt when she recognized the names of two of the shooting victims. And Pearl Young belonged to the same church ministry as Glover. She came on Sunday to honor them and the community.

“We have to keep supporting each other,” she said. “It’s the only way we can heal.”

The son of shooting victim Geraldine Tully, 63, released a book on Sunday about what he went through after losing his mother. He titled the song “5/14: The Day the Devil Came to Buffalo.”

“My mother definitely doesn’t want me to be overwhelmed with sadness and anger,” Tully said of her mother outside the store as the anniversary approached. Because she will spend the rest of her life fighting injustice and racism in her name. ”

Inside the refurbished store, a poem dedicated to the victims hangs next to a fountain. The commission is working on designing a permanent monument outside. Meanwhile, a hand-painted mural overlooking the parking lot promotes unity as black and white hands come together in prayer.

The 18-year-old white supremacist carried out the attack after driving more than 200 miles from his home in rural Conklin, New York.

Among the dead were Chaney, Tully, Massey and Young, as well as Andre McNeil, who was buying a cake for his son’s third birthday. Church Deacon Hayward Patterson. Ruth Whitfield, whose son was a fire chief in Buffalo. Roberta Drury returned to Buffalo to help her brother who was diagnosed with cancer. Margus Morrison was buying dinner for his family for a movie night. Aaron Salter is a former Buffalo police officer who worked as a security guard.

The shooter pleaded guilty to murder and other charges and was sentenced to life in prison without parole in February. Federal lawsuits against him are pending.

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Associated Press reporter Maysoon Khan of Albany, New York, contributed to this report.

https://wgntv.com/news/national/a-year-after-mass-shooting-at-buffalo-supermarket-bells-to-toll-for-victims/ Bells ring for victims of Buffalo supermarket shooting, one year after massacre

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