Crump: People who promoted racist ideology behind Buffalo shooting must be held accountable
At a press conference on Monday, attorney Ben Crump called Saturday’s mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., an act of terrorism. He also said public figures who promote the racist ideology that police say motivated the alleged gunman need to be held accountable. Crump appeared with the family of Ruth Whitfield, one of the 10 people killed in the shooting.
Video Transcript
BEN CRUMP: So often, we try to explain things away, when you have a young white mass murderers kill innocent people. But there is no mistaking, Attorney Obono, about his actions. In that manifesto, he made his intentions clear. He went to Tops Supermarket here in Buffalo, New York, in this predominantly African-American community, with the objective to kill as many Black people as he could. That was his objective.
And so we need to make sure that the world knows that we have to respond to this act of terrorism. We intend to not only hold accountable this sick depraved monster for his hateful act, but we intend to hold those responsible for the root of the hate.
- Yes.
BEN CRUMP: The people who curate their hate.
- Yes.
BEN CRUMP: The people who inspire the hate on websites, and internet services, and cable news stations. Those people who radicalize these young people to go out and orchestrate heinous acts of violence, heinous acts of hate. That is what we have to do. We have to get to the root of the hate, because if we don't get to the root of the hate, then sadly, I believe we will be back here again, grieving the loss of other innocent Black people. And we continue to acknowledge that it was intended as an act of violence against Black people for specific reasons.
He said it in his manifesto. And we look at that manifesto, Joe, and you have to acknowledge-- everything that he put in there was inspired by these people, who are trying to motivate these young people. You think about this race replacement theory that he talked about in this manifesto. There are people who are pushing this hatred on these young people, indoctrinating their minds to go out and commit violence. I mean, these politicians who are trying to use fear to inspire their base, to help get cable news ratings-- it's these people who are accomplices to this mass murder. And Cliff, even though they may not have pulled the trigger, they did load the gun for this young white supremacist.
- Yes.
BEN CRUMP: They loaded the guns, and we have to hold them accountable too.
