Memorial will honor lives lost two years after Buffalo hate shooting

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Tuesday will mark two years since a gunman walked into the Tops supermarket in Buffalo and killed ten black people in a hate-motivated mass shooting.

In the afternoon, the Buffalo community will come together to unveil a memorial in Tops honoring the victims. News10NBC’s Brett Davidsen will be in Buffalo Tuesday for the inauguration. Live coverage begins at noon.

The memorial will serve as a place of honor, comfort and reflection as the community continues its healing process. Garnell Whitfield, whose mother Ruth Whitfield was killed in the attack, says the memorial is a step on a long road to recovery.

“Let’s be very clear: This won’t bring my mother back, but it represents hope for a better day. This represents the planting of a seed within this community that will hopefully bear fruit,” he said.

On Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul and local leaders, along with members of the 5/14 Memorial Commission, unveiled the final design for a new memorial. The memorial is called “See Us” and contains 10 pillars with the names of the people who were killed.

The man who carried out the mass shooting, whose hatred was fueled by racist conspiracy theories he encountered online, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole based on charges filed by the state. He pleaded guilty in November 2022 and was sentenced in February 2023.

Last January, federal prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty against the shooter. Although New York State does not provide for the death penalty, the Justice Department has the option to seek it in a separate federal hate crime case.