Tops supermarket to reopen for the first time since mass shooting in Buffalo
The Tops Friendly Market that was the scene of a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, in May held a moment of silence and prayer to "honor and respect all victims and impacted associates and community members" on Thursday, a day before the supermarket is set to reopen.
Community members, local politicians and company leaders spoke at the hour-long ceremony held outside the supermarket two months after Payton Gendron, 18, arrived at the supermarket with ammunition and what authorities described as the "express purpose" of killing Black people. Ten people were killed in the attack and three others were wounded.
The supermarket has been fully renovated since the deadly attack and has added new security measures, such as enhanced video monitoring systems, an emergency evacuation alarm system, and additional emergency exits, Tops said in a news release.
Following a moment of silence and remarks from speakers including Tops Friendly Markets President John Persons and New York Attorney General Letitia James, African American Cultural Center Interim Director Jackie Mines closed out the ceremony by introducing a contemporary dance performance that "emphasized healing."
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed multiple federal hate crime charges against Gendron, some of which carry the possibility of the death penalty. A state grand jury also indicted the alleged shooter and he has pleaded not guilty. He has been in custody since the attack.
Following the deadly attack, Tops Friendly Markets announced it would remain closed "until further notice."
Store officials at the time said they were "unable to speak to a timeline for reopening" due to the store being "an active law enforcement investigation site," but noted that they were "committed to reopening up this community store."
"When the time is right for all of us, we will reopen our doors on Jefferson Avenue. Until then, we remain here with you and for you in every way we possibly can," store officials said May 18.
Persons said the store location on Jefferson Avenue has had its products and equipment emptied and restocked since the shooting, according to WKBW.
He said employees who no longer feel comfortable returning to the location will have other stores to work at if they choose, WKBW reported.
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