Buffalo shooting live updates: Police say Payton Gendron threatened to attack his high school last year

The Buffalo community is struggling to come to grips with a racially motivated mass shooting at a supermarket in a predominately Black neighborhood on Saturday afternoon.

Church services and prayer vigils are planned throughout the day in Buffalo on Sunday, in response to an 18-year-old gunman shooting 13 people, 10 fatally, at a Tops Friendly Markets store on Jefferson Avenue.

Payton Gendron: What we know about the alleged Buffalo mass shooter

Police identify shooting victims

Buffalo police released the names of the victims from Saturday's mass shooting The 10 people who were killed have been identified as:

• Roberta A. Drury, 32

• Margus D. Morrison, 52

• Andre Mackneil, 53

• Aaron Salter, 55

• Geraldine Talley, 62

• Celestine Chaney, 65

• Heyward Patterson, 67

• Katherine Massey, 72

• Pearl Young, 77

• Ruth Whitfield, 86

The three surviving victims were identified as

• Zaire Goodman, 20

• Jennifer Warrington, 50

• Christopher Braden, 55

Police described their injuries as "non-life-threatening." Goodman and Warrington have been treated and released from the Erie County Medical Center, according to a statement released Sunday evening.

Biden to visit Buffalo after mass shooting

White House officials announced that President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Buffalo on Tuesday to grieve with the community. Details of his itinerary were not released.

Biden told reporters earlier in the day that he had spoken to Gov. Kathy Hochul, and that he and his wife were praying for the victims and their families.

"We grieve for the families of ten people whose lives were senselessly taken and everyone who is suffering the physical and emotional wounds of this horrific shooting," the President said in a statement. "We are grateful for the bravery of members of law enforcement and other first responders who took immediate action to try to protect and save lives."

Biden said that the country must do everything in its power to end hate-fueled domestic terrorism.

"We still need to learn more about the motivation for [the] shooting as law enforcement does its work, but we don’t need anything else to state a clear moral truth: A racially motivated hate crime is abhorrent to the very fabric of this nation," Biden said. "Any act of domestic terrorism, including an act perpetrated in the name of a repugnant white nationalist ideology, is antithetical to everything we stand for in America. Hate must have no safe harbor."

'The heart of the Black community': Buffalo shooting leaves a grieving, close-knit neighborhood with impossible questions

Tops announces free shuttle service after shooting

Tops Markets announced Sunday afternoon that the Jefferson Avenue store would remain closed indefinitely while investigators continued to process evidence at the scene.

The company began offering a free shuttle service from that location to its store on Elmwood Ave, about 4 miles away.

"We are steadfast in our commitment to serving every corner of our community as we have for the past 60 years," the company said in a statement. "Knowing the importance of this location and serving families on the east side of the city, we have taken immediate steps to ensure our neighbors are able to meet their grocery and pharmacy needs by providing free bus shuttle service starting today."

The shuttles are scheduled to run from 10am to 7pm daily.

The company said it is also working closely with Buffalo city council member Ulysees Wingo Sr., who represents the Masten District, to provide free food and supplies to neighbors via the Resource Council of Western New York at 347 East Ferry St. in Buffalo.

Gunman threatened to attack his high school last year

The accused gunman, Payton Gendron, threatened an attack at his high school last year, resulting in a referral for a mental health evaluation, a law enforcement official said Sunday.

The incident was reviewed by state authorities at the time. The official who is not authorized to comment publicly said the suspect's parents were cooperating with authorities.

Gendron is a 2021 graduate of Susquehanna Valley High School in Conklin, Broome County. The district’s superintendent released a letter to families and staff Saturday, saying it would not comment about the Gendron’s ties to the school, “in light of the extremely sensitive nature of this matter.”

“The staff and families of the Susquehanna Valley Central School District are incredibly saddened by the recent news of the mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo,” Superintendent Richard Doig said in the letter. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims at this difficult time.”

“We will continue to actively monitor this difficult situation as we begin a much-needed healing process,” Doig concluded in his letter.

Payton Gendron: What we know now alleged Buffalo mass shooter

Column: In Buffalo shooting suspect's hometown, a history of hate, but no easy answers

Payton Gendron scouted out Tops, neighborhood day before, police say

At a press briefing Sunday afternoon, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said that Gendron, was in the Buffalo area a day before the attack. It appears that he did reconnaissance inside the store and in the surrounding neighborhood.

"If someone out there believes they spoke to him, let us know," Gramaglia said.

Search warrants are being executed for the gunman's home, vehicle, phone and computers as well as his social media accounts.

Those social media accounts will help clarify the timeline of the incident. Gramaglia said that the first police officers arrived on the scene at 2:31 p.m. Saturday and immediately confronted the accused gunman, who put his gun underneath his chin.

"The officers used every de-escalation tactic they could to talk him down," Gramaglia said. "He didn’t point the gun toward officers, and the officers moved in very quickly to take him into custody."

Police said the gunman fired 50 rounds from his AR-15 rifle during the attack. They found two other firearms — a rifle and a shotgun — in his car.

Gramaglia said that the State Police and FBI have spoken with Gendron's parents at their home in Conklin, NY. He said they have been cooperating with investigators but described them as "distraught."

More: What kind of gun was used in the Buffalo shooting?

'Shocked and deeply saddened': What we know now about Tops mass shooting in Buffalo

Gov. Hochul speaks out on Tops mass shooting in Buffalo

Gov. Kathy Hochul, who spoke Sunday morning at a church service at True Bethel Baptist Church in Buffalo, said Saturday's attack "was not a random act of violence."

"Lord forgive the anger in my heart right now, I was raised to love and respect and care," she said. "We are so brokenhearted, we are crushed in spirit at this moment, but with your love Lord, we will rise up."

"We must do something about this," she said. "We will not just call it out."

We must "silence the voices of hatred and white supremacy all over the internet," Hochul said.

"This is in a league of it’s own...a whole new dimension," she said. "I want to silence those voices now, I want them to talk about Buffalo as the last place this ever happened, we will let this end right here."

Tops Friendly Markets releases new statement on Buffalo shooting

Tops Friendly Markets on Sunday morning shared a statement regarding the shooting at its Jefferson Avenue store, the second public statement in as many days.

"The Tops family is heartbroken over the senseless violence that impacted our associates and customers at our store on Jefferson Avenue.

We are working quickly to make sure that all of our associates have access to counseling and support that they may need.

Tops has been committed to this community and to the city of Buffalo for decades and this tragedy will not change that commitment. We are working to find alternatives for our customers in this community while the store is closed and will provide updates in the near future."

The Erie County-based grocery store chain operates more than 150 grocery stores, most of which are in New York. The Jefferson Avenue store is one of seven Tops store located in Buffalo, according to the company's website. A company spokeswoman said the Jefferson Avenue store opened in 2003 and is "one of very few supermarkets in the city limits, a staple in the community."

Sunday begins with vigil and march

Hundreds of people gathered near the store Sunday morning for a prayer vigil. Among the speakers was the Rev. Mark Blue, president of the Buffalo NAACP, who called for unity among residents of all races.

Blue told the gathered crowd that everyone must "continue to support those who have been victimized by this heinous act" of racism.

"Too much hurt is in our community," Blue said. "We are only stronger when we are together."

Some of the crowd marched in the area near the store Sunday morning, chanting a variety of statements including "this is what community looks like" and "We are mourning, we are hurt."

Many neighbors also came out for the vigil and to support the march.

"A lot of people know each other in this community, said Michael Ray of Buffalo, who lives about a mile from the Tops store where he's also a regular customer. "We're all intertwined. That's what makes this so hurtful, honestly. This is not just a shopping center but its an area where a lot of people knew each other and a lot of people are close to each other."

While it may take time for residents to heal, he said, "we need to give ourselves hope."

"We have to learn how to heal and how to love instead of how to hate from this," Ray said. "Try to be better for ourselves and try to fix this scar in our city."

Alleged shooter's alma mater shares statement

Payton Gendron is a 2021 graduate of Susquehanna Valley High School in Conklin, Broome County. The district’s superintendent released a letter to families and staff Saturday, saying it would not comment about the Gendron’s ties to the school, “in light of the extremely sensitive nature of this matter.”

“The staff and families of the Susquehanna Valley Central School District are incredibly saddened by the recent news of the mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo,” Superintendent Richard Doig said in the letter. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims at this difficult time.”

“We will continue to actively monitor this difficult situation as we begin a much-needed healing process,” Doig concluded in his letter.

SUNY Broome Community College, where Gendron had been a student but was not currently enrolled, issued a statement following Saturday's shooting.

"SUNY Broome is sadly aware of the tragic mass shooting that occurred in Buffalo today and we offer our deepest sympathy and most heartfelt condolences to the victims' families during this difficult time."

On Sunday, the school confirmed that Gendron had been a full-time student for the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters.

"The individual was enrolled through March 22, 2022 and has not been enrolled at SUNY Broome since that date," a spokesperson said.

Going forward, SUNY Broome will rely on the investigating agencies to release any additional information, as appropriate. Again, we offer our deepest condolences to the victims’ families for this terrible tragedy."

President Biden: 'Hate must have no safe harbor'

President Joe Biden late Saturday shared some thoughts about Saturday's mass shooting at the store.

"Tonight, we grieve for the families of ten people whose lives were senselessly taken and everyone who is suffering the physical and emotional wounds of this horrific shooting. We are grateful for the bravery of members of law enforcement and other first responders who took immediate action to try to protect and save lives. The First Lady and I are praying for the victims and their families, and hearts all across this country are with the people of Buffalo."

"We still need to learn more about the motivation for today’s shooting as law enforcement does its work, but we don’t need anything else to state a clear moral truth: A racially motivated hate crime is abhorrent to the very fabric of this nation. Any act of domestic terrorism, including an act perpetrated in the name of a repugnant white nationalist ideology, is antithetical to everything we stand for in America. Hate must have no safe harbor. We must do everything in our power to end hate-fueled domestic terrorism."

What happened in court

Payton Gendron was charged Saturday with one count of first-degree murder and was arraigned in Buffalo City Court.

In court, Gendron's attorney, Brian Parker, requested that his client undergo a psychiatric examination. Buffalo City Court Judge Craig Hannah ordered that Gendron be held without bail. He will return to court for a felony hearing on Thursday morning.

Additional charges are expected in the coming days. He may also face federal charges.

Planned vigils, prayer services

Several churches throughout Buffalo are holding prayer services to honor those killed and injured in Saturday's attack.

Among them was a service to be held at True Bethel Baptist Church on East Ferry Street in Buffalo, where Gov. Kathy Hochul will speak at 8:30 a.m.

A community healing and prayer vigil began near the Jefferson Avenue store at 9 a.m.

Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church had an 11:30 a.m. service at 237 E. North Street that was livestreamed.

Westminster Presbyterian Church, at 724 Delaware Ave., has planned a prayer service in the sanctuary at 5 p.m.

Images from the scene

What happened in Buffalo on Saturday

An 18-year-old man wearing tactical gear opened fire in a busy supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo on Saturday afternoon, killing 10 people and injuring three others in the country's latest high-profile crime apparently motivated by hate, authorities say.

Officials said the suspected gunman, Payton Gendron, 18, of Broome County, traveled from the Southern Tier to carry out the attack, which he livestreamed on social media.

Eleven of the 13 people who were shot were Black, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said at a Saturday news conference.

The mass shooting occurred around 2:30 p.m. at the Tops Friendly Markets store at 1275 Jefferson Ave. in Buffalo when a man armed with an assault-style rifle shot more than a dozen people at the store in a matter of minutes.

He shot four people in the parking lot, three of whom died at the scene, before he entered the store. A retired Buffalo police officer working in the store as a security guard confronted the shooter and shot him. Those bullets struck the attacker's tactical vest, preventing injury, Gramaglia said. The gunman returned fire and fatally shot the guard. He worked his way through the store and ultimately surrendered to police.

Includes reporting from Sarah Taddeo, Gary Craig and Kevin Johnson

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo shooting: Police say Payton Gendron threatened to attack school