Jurors are about to hear the federal hate-crime and firearms case against Payton Gendron for the Tops Friendly Market massacre in Buffalo, a 2022 attack that killed 10 Black people and is regarded as one of the deadliest anti-Black hate crimes in modern U.S. history.

Victims’ family members express mixed views on capital punishment; some support pursuing the death penalty because of the crime’s egregious nature, while others prefer the process and accountability over vengeance.

Federal action under the Biden era: the DOJ decided in 2024 to pursue a death sentence in this case, the first capital case overseen by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland after a moratorium.

Survivors, advocates, and community members describe ongoing impacts and renewed efforts to confront white nationalist movements and racial violence, with calls for accountability and broader societal changes.

Hate-crime data underscore that anti-Black bias remains the most frequently targeted, with FBI figures showing high incidents in recent years and online radicalization cited as a factor.

Gendron faces more than two dozen federal hate-crime charges and over a dozen firearms charges; he has pleaded guilty to state murder charges and is serving a life sentence.

The defense does not dispute guilt but plans to present mitigating evidence to argue against the death penalty, while prosecutors pursue a possible death sentence.

Authorities say the shooting was driven in part by racist conspiracy theories, including the great replacement theory, and involved careful planning and online radicalization.