Buffalo shooting: Biden visits city after deadly grocery store rampage

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are visiting Buffalo, days after a gunman opened fire at a grocery store, killing 10 people and wounding three.

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They visited the makeshift memorial to the victims of Saturday’s shooting before Biden meets privately with the families of the victims, first responders and local officials. He will give public remarks later Tuesday, The Associated Press reported.

>>Previous coverage: Buffalo supermarket shooting: What we know about the 10 victims

During the speech, Biden is expected to ask for stricter gun laws and urge Americans to reject racism and instead embrace the country’s diversity.

Normally, however, new gun restrictions are blocked by Republican lawmakers, the AP reported.

Republican lawmakers have also stopped by the site to show support for the victims’ families, including Rep. Lee Zeldin, (R-N.Y.). He also called the attack a “fatal hate crime,” WIVB reported.

Was just in Buffalo at Tops supermarket to pay my respects to the victims of Saturday’s fatal, hate-filled tragedy. Joined the community in prayer, gave them a friendly shoulder to cry on, and heard many stories of their fallen friends and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/9r29JSNh2x
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) May 16, 2022

Biden said he will push for gun safety measures through the use of executive actions, CNN reported.

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This is not the first time Biden has made the plea.

Biden said he ran for president after incidents in Charlottesville, Virginia, during the “Unite the Right” march in 2017, where men carried torches and shouted bigoted slogans. He also addressed white supremacy in his inaugural address calling it “domestic terrorism that we must confront.”

>>Previous coverage: Buffalo supermarket mass shooting: Victims list released by Buffalo PD

Payton Gendron, 18, has been charged with murder after police said he was the gunman who opened fire in the supermarket. He has pleaded not guilty, CNN reported.

Gendron said in an online document that was filled with racism and antisemitism, that he was a supporter of Dylan Roof, who killed nine Black parishioners at a Charleston, South Carolina, church in 2015 and Brenton Tarrant, who targeted mosques in New Zealand in 2019, the AP reported.

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A majority of the 10 people who were killed at the Buffalo supermarket and the three additional people who were injured were Black. Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia called it a racially motivated shooting, CNN reported. He said it will be prosecuted as a racist hate crime.

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