Victims of racist Buffalo supermarket mass shooting remembered on anniversary
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Standing in the same parking lot where he was shot in the neck a year ago in a racist attack at a Buffalo supermarket, Zaire Goodman said he was grateful to see the community come together in remembrance Sunday.
His family and others affected by the mass shooting gathered with top state and local officials, first responders and religious leaders to remember the 10 people who were killed and three, including Goodman, who were wounded at Tops Friendly Market, which closed Sunday for the one-year anniversary of the shootings.
ADVERTISING
Goodman, 21, who worked at the store and was shot while collecting carts outside, has been back to the market many times since, even visiting while it was being remodeled in the weeks after the massacre as some questioned whether it should ever reopen.
“I just wanted to show people that it’s alright. We don’t need to close the store indefinitely,” he said.
Mayor Byron Brown read the 13 victims’ names before a moment of silence. A first responder then chimed a bell 13 times. Brown, Gov. Kathy Hochul and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer were among those who gave speeches.
“It’s a beautiful day. It’s Mother’s Day,” Hochul said. “And the cruel irony behind the fact is a day we celebrate a life that comes into this world, making someone a mother, is also a day we’re here to think about those who are no longer with us. It’s hard. It’s been a really hard year.”
Earlier in the week, panelists discussed ways to combat racism and social media radicalization.
After Sunday’s ceremony, Goodman recalled how after being wounded he ran across the street in search of safety, calling his mother along the way.
“Hey, you need to get here,” he told her.
Since then, Goodman’s mother, Zeneta Everhart, and other relatives of the victims have spoken before Congress about white supremacy and gun reform and organized events to address food insecurity that worsened when the market, the neighborhood’s only grocery store, was inaccessible for two months.
