A space of honor for 5/14 victims of the shooting revealed

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A space dedicated to victims of the racist shooting at Tops on Jefferson Avenue was dedicated Tuesday, marking the second anniversary of the tragedy on Buffalo’s East Side.

The names of the 10 victims killed on May 14, 2022 appear atop 10 stone columns that line a circular garden, with a sculpture titled “Unity” near the center.

According to Tops, the 5/14 Honor Space was created to be a place of remembrance and respite for victims’ families, survivors and the community.

The space is located on the corner of Landon Street and Jefferson Avenue, a few hundred yards from the supermarket sought by a self-proclaimed white supremacist shooter who sought to kill as many black people as possible.

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“The memorial space that community members have worked on will not heal, but it recognizes and what it says is that (the day) is important and it was important and should never go away” , said the former president of the Buffalo Common Council. and Pastor Darius Pridgen.

Some people cried when they first saw the honor space, others told 2 On Your Side they didn’t know how to feel; the emotions of 05/14 are still fresh in their minds.

“The day you know it resonates, it registers, just a moment when I drive by, it hits me,” said Marquez Mack, an East Buffalo native.

The Space of Honor will be inaugurated Tuesday at 2 p.m. It will be followed by a minute of silence at 2:28 p.m. marking the exact moment the shooting took place two years ago.