Daughter of Buffalo victim breaks down at press conference; attorney announces potential lawsuits

Families of four victims of the shooting at Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, N.Y., shared their grief at a press conference held Thursday by longtime civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton and national civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who said they plan to sue everyone they believe is responsible for the attack.

Robin Harris, the eldest daughter of 86-year-old Ruth Whitfield, could not hold back her anger when addressing the audience and the 18-year-old suspect accused of killing her mother and nine others in the racist rampage.

“How dare you!” she yelled into the mic, addressing Payton Gendron, who has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. “That racist young man took my mother away.”

Speaking before her was Tirzah Patterson, the ex-wife of deacon Heyward Patterson, who appeared with their 12-year-old son.

“He was a good father, he took care of him. He didn’t lack anything,” she said as her son covered his face.

“His heart is broken ... what am I supposed to do to help him get through this? I need a village to help me raise and be here for my son because he has no father.”

On Saturday afternoon, the alleged gunman, dressed in body armor and livestreaming on Twitch, killed 10 Black shoppers and employees at the supermarket. Another three people were wounded, including another Black person and two white people.

The shooting happened in a predominantly Black neighborhood. Authorities are investigating the attack as a hate crime after the white shooter allegedly left behind a manifesto and showed the N-word painted on the gun in the livestream.

The video, at one point, shows the gunman point his rifle at a white person, say “sorry” and decide not to shoot him as he moves on.

Crump said he plans to go after gun manufacturers, distributors and “anyone else who was an accomplice to this 18-year-old white supremacist.”

He said: “They might have not pulled the trigger but all these people who curated the hate, they loaded the gun.”

Crump added that pursuing legal action could involve suing Gendron’s parents, and said they’ll be collaborating with the Brady Center, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control.

Sharpton said the “era of hate” needs to stop.

“They didn’t shoot them for who they were but for what they were,” he said. “The gun was shot at all of us.”

Sharpton added that there would be a vigil for the victims at 7 p.m. in Buffalo.

According to the Associated Press, the NAACP is also getting involved by suggesting a policy approach in a proposal that could be picked up by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. It would focus on preventing future acts of anti-Black domestic terrorism.

Crump was adamant in saying the Buffalo attack should be viewed as a form of domestic terrorism.

As for Harris, she celebrated her mom on Mother’s Day and said it’ll be one of the last memories she has of her.

“I took my last picture of my mom on Mother’s Day, she was so beautiful. That picture can’t replace her.”