A grand jury on Wednesday charged the white 18-year-old accused of killing 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket with domestic terrorism motivated by hate and 10 counts of first-degree murder, among other charges.
The domestic terrorism charge alleges that suspected gunman 18-year-old Payton Gendron was motivated by his victims' perceived race, and carries the possibility of life without parole. The 25-count indictment also contains murder charges for each of those killed.
The arraignment is scheduled for Thursday in Erie County Court. Previously, Gendron had been charged with first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty. Federal officials are also looking into charging Gendron with hate crimes.
On May 14, a gunman carrying an AR-15 opened fire inside a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Buffalo, New York. Among those killed in the attack were the store security guard and a church deacon. Three others were injured.