A legal team representing Payton Gendron, a white individual accused of killing ten Black individuals at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, is requesting to relocate his trial to New York City. In a recent court document, they argue that finding a diverse and unbiased jury in Buffalo would be challenging due to the city’s racial demographics and connections to the case.
Buffalo’s racial makeup, as noted by Gendron’s attorneys, complicates the jury selection process; approximately 85% of the city’s Black population resides in East Buffalo, the shooting location. As a result, numerous potential jurors would likely have connections to the event, disqualifying them from serving.
The attorneys stressed that a verdict should come from a diverse jury to garner genuine moral authority. They contend that Buffalo’s history of racial segregation hinders the possibility of assembling such a jury there. Furthermore, they highlighted the extensive local media coverage following the May 2022 attack at Tops Friendly Market.
Gendron meticulously orchestrated the attack with a semiautomatic rifle, allegedly fueled by a desire to prevent the displacement of white people by Black individuals and to prompt similar actions. His helmet-mounted camera streamed the horrific scene live as he targeted shoppers and employees at the store.
Tragically, the ages of those who lost their lives ranged from 32 to 86. Additionally, three people were injured, while many others narrowly avoided harm in and around the only grocery store in the vicinity.
Considering the large number of directly affected individuals, Gendron’s legal team proposed moving the trial to a federal court in New York City. They believe this location is distant enough from the local media influence and sufficiently diverse to select a representative jury uninvolved with the shooting and its repercussions.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Buffalo has yet to provide remarks on this request.
Gendron, who confessed to various state charges, including murder, in November 2022, is currently serving a life sentence without parole. The federal government, under former Attorney General Merrick Garland, announced its intention to seek the death penalty in a concurrent hate crimes and weapons federal case.
Previously, Gendron’s attorneys argued against the death penalty, pointing to his age — 18 at the time of the attack — and the ongoing development of his brain as reasons for exemption. This particular motion is still under consideration.
The trial is set to commence in September.