BUFFALO, N.Y. — A federal judge ruled on Friday that the trial of Payton Gendron, the shooter behind the racist attack at a Tops Market in Buffalo, will not be moved to New York City.
Prosecutors said that moving the trial to the Southern District of New York State would be an inconvenience for the victims of loved ones.
However, according to WKBW, the judge has not ruled out moving the trial to Rochester, N.Y.
On May 14, 2022, Gendron, who is from Conklin, Broome County, N.Y., drove to Buffalo and shot and killed 10 Black people with AR-15 style rifle at the supermarket. Three more people were wounded. He broadcasted the murders on Twitch, a livestreaming service known for video game-based content.
Friday’s hearing comes two days after New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced Mean Arms will pay $1.75 million in restitution to victims’ families, injured individuals and traumatized survivors.
The shooter used a MA Lock sold by Mean Arms, LLC during the attack. The attorney general’s office said the lock, which should prevent detachable magazines from being removed from the weapon, was actually easily removable. Therefore, high-capacity magazines could be inserted.
The shooter was able to remove the locked and inserted a 30-round magazine into his weapon. New York State law has a 10-round limit.
Mean Arms, LLC was ordered to stop selling the MA Lock in New York State.
Gendron is already serving 11 life sentences without parole after he pleaded guilty to state charges of murder and hate-motivated terrorism. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Gendron if he is convicted of the federal hate crimes.
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Jury selection is scheduled for August with trial to become sometime afterward.