Plans revealed for memorial honoring victims of racist Buffalo supermarket shooting

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A permanent memorial honoring the 10 Black victims of a racist mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket will feature interconnected stone pillars and arches, as well as a glass-enclosed building where exhibits and events will take place, announced community and elected leaders on Monday.

The drawing, “Seeing Us,” by Jin Young Song and Douglass Alligood, was revealed a day before the second anniversary of the attack. It was selected from 20 submissions to the 5/14 Memorial Commission, which was created months after an 18-year-old white gunman opened fire at a Tops supermarket on May 14, 2022.

New York State has committed $5 million to the $15 million project, Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a news conference to unveil the design. Buffalo will contribute $1 million, and a yearlong fundraising campaign is expected to make up the difference.

“As we approach the solemn second anniversary of the senseless slaughter of our neighbors solely because of the color of their skin, we recommit ourselves to supporting the East Buffalo community, remembering those we have lost and supporting those who have been hurt,” she said. said.

Nine shoppers, aged 32 to 86, and a retired Buffalo police officer working as a security guard, were killed in the Saturday afternoon attack. Three store employees were injured.

The Rev. Mark Blue, chairman of the 5/14 Memorial Commission, said the families of the victims were consulted during the design selection process.

“What happened on May 14 was an act of senseless violence and an act of hatred,” he said. “I intend to ensure we have a memorial that families and communities can be proud of.” »

Payton Gendron is serving a life sentence without parole after pleading guilty to murder and hate-motivated domestic terrorism charges. He is awaiting trial on separate federal charges and could face the death penalty if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty in this case.

To mark the second anniversary of the shooting Tuesday, Tops Friendly Markets will dedicate another memorial near the store and observe a moment of silence at 2:28 p.m., the time of the attack.

Buffalo artist Valeria Cray and her son Hiram Cray, a faculty member at Corning Community College at the State University of New York, created a sculpture titled “Unity for the Honor Space” for the memorial. The site also includes 10 granite markers.