Viral Post Falsely Compares Buffalo Shooter’s Terror Charges

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Payton Gendron is currently serving time in prison for a racially motivated mass shooting that claimed the lives of 10 people and injured three others at a Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, New York in 2022. The then 18-year-old perpetrator explicitly referenced the “great replacement theory” – a conspiracy theory claiming that white Americans are being deliberately replaced by minorities – as his motivation for the attack.

Recently, a viral post on X garnered over 300,000 views by falsely claiming that authorities did not charge Gendron with terrorism. The post attempted to highlight perceived inconsistency in the justice system by comparing Gendron’s case to that of Luigi Mangione, who was charged with terrorism after fatally shooting a health insurance company executive in December.

Let’s do some comparisons, shall we?

Peyton Gendron killed 10 people at Tops Grocery store.

Luigi Mangione killed Brian Thompson, United Healthcare CEO pic.twitter.com/vSLjUv0Pz9

— miss girl (@bondgirl901) December 20, 2024

This claim is inaccurate. Federal prosecutors charged Gendron with multiple crimes, including “domestic terrorism motivated by hate” and murder. He subsequently entered a guilty plea to these charges.

The Department of Justice’s July 2022 press release detailed that the indictment against Gendron included “special findings alleging, among other things, that Gendron committed the offense after substantial planning and premeditation to commit an act of terrorism.”

Payton Gendron MURDERED 10 Black people for being BLACK. He’s not a…

gunman, assailant, or other adjective used to diminish his savagery.

He’s a…

white supremacist, murderer, terrorist, a rapacious, barbaric, monster.

Police arrested him gently. Notice how they protect him. pic.twitter.com/DuvllhaHIu

— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) February 15, 2023

During his court appearance, Gendron expressed remorse, stating, “I did a terrible thing that day. I shot and killed people because they were black. Looking back now, I can’t believe I actually did it.”

According to FBI guidelines, domestic terrorism charges apply to “violent, criminal acts [are] committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.”