5/14 memorial design approved and unveiled
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(The video above shows a rendering of the planned memorial honoring the victims of the 5/14 mass shooting.)
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Almost two years since a mass shooting took the lives of 10 people and injured three others, Gov. Kathy Hochul came to Buffalo to help unveil the chosen design for a memorial honoring the victims of May 14, 2022.
On Monday afternoon, the Governor spoke at the Apollo Media Center, where the design honoring the victims of the racially motivated attack at the Jefferson Avenue Tops was unveiled following the 5/14 Memorial Commission‘s unanimous approval that morning.
Jin Young Song and Douglass Alligood’s design “Seeing Us,” was ultimately picked from among the three. It will feature a new building and 10 interconnected pillars bearing the victims’ names and faces.
Hochul said the building will act as a hub for community gatherings and events.
The memorial will be on a property owned by Buffalo Public Schools and will receive $5 million in state funding. More than four-fifths of that funding was announced by Hochul Monday afternoon.
The 5/14 Memorial Commission is a group established by Hochul and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. Two months ago, three finalists were announced after 20 submissions were received. Each received $10,000 toward creating a 3D model of their memorial design.
Watts Architects & Engineers
Associate Professor Jin Young Song and licensed architect Douglass Alligood
Architecture, design, and urban planning collective Beehyyve
The announcement of the finalists came after 1,300 people took part in a community survey on what the memorial should include. The survey took place from June to November 2023.
The next step in the process is fundraising, the commission said during its Monday morning meeting. Brown says this will be led by a committee chaired by four people:
Dr. Michael Edbauer – president of Highmark Western and Northeastern New York
Eunice Lewin – SUNY Trustee
Jonathan Dandes – Rich Products Corporation corporate vice president of governmental relations and special projects
Dottie Gallagher – president and CEO of Buffalo Niagara Partnership
Watch the entire announcement in the video below:
The video below shows the commission’s unanimous approval of the memorial design.
You can see News 4’s past coverage of the Tops mass shooting here.
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