MS Black Panthers denounce shooting in Buffalo, New York

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Local groups are speaking out on the racially motivated shooting that happened in Buffalo, New York, earlier this month.

The mass shooting left ten dead and three others wounded.

Today, New Black Panther Party in the state held a press conference calling for unity after a racially motivated mass shooting.

“We want to acknowledge all those sisters and brothers who lost their life in Buffalo, New York,” said Panther Party National Chairman Malik Zulu Shabazz. “A strong denunciation from us because we are Mississippians, and we are here to let the people know that what happened in Buffalo, New York, can happen right here in Mississippi.”

Authorities say Payton Gendron is the suspected shooter accused of going on a racist rampage at TOPS Grocery Store on May 14.

Investigators believe he was looking to kill African Americans and planned on attacking other locations to kill even more. Shabazz says racists hate groups are still a common problem here in the United States.

“I think that you know you have these white supremacists that are bred the doctrine of believing in the hoax that they are pure or they are dominate or superior to any other race in the world,” said Shabazz.

Members of the organization say it’s going to take all races coming together to stop hate crimes like this from happening again.

“If we don’t stand together and we are separated, that’s the way we are taken over,” said Commander of the New Black Panther Party Sherrell Potts.

The group hopes that taking a stand today against violence will encourage others to promote and practice unity.

“It doesn’t make any sense for people to take anyone’s lives for no reason. All this senseless killing, we are here to send a message to the people on the streets. We are asking you to put the guns down,” said Shabazz.

Organization leaders say they will host more events during the Juneteenth Black Unity weekend as a national response to the attack on black people. They hope to bring more awareness to racism in the country.

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