BUFFALO, N.Y. – The son of a victim killed in the 2022 supermarket mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y. has spoken out against the Department of Justice’s decision to seek the death penalty for the shooter. Mark Talley, whose 62-year-old mother Geraldine Talley was among the victims, expressed his disagreement with the DOJ’s choice.
In an interview with CNN, Talley stated that while he is not angry about the decision, he does not agree with how the shooter’s life will come to an end. He emphasized that his mother did not know her last day was coming on May 14, 2022, when she was allegedly targeted in a racist attack at a supermarket.
Federal prosecutors have announced their intention to seek the death penalty for the shooter, identified as Payton Gendron. Gendron is currently serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to state murder and domestic terror charges for killing 10 Black people in the shooting.
The federal case against Gendron is centered on hate crime charges, as prosecutors allege he specifically targeted Black individuals. Talley, who authored the book “5/14: The Day the Devil Came to Buffalo,” expressed his opposition to the pursuit of the death penalty. He stated that he would prefer the shooter to “rot in a supermax prison” or remain in a county jail near Buffalo.
Talley’s sentiments also included a desire for the shooter to experience constant turmoil and suffering for the rest of his life. The DOJ’s decision to seek the death penalty was presented to the families in a professional manner, according to Talley.
The shooting, perpetrated by Gendron who was 18 at the time, was motivated by racist hate, according to police. In a manifesto published at the time of the attack, Gendron endorsed the “great replacement theory,” a white supremacist conspiracy theory. He traveled over 200 miles to the supermarket in Buffalo, which is situated in a predominantly Black neighborhood, because of his racist motivations.
This case marks the first time Attorney General Merrick Garland has authorized pursuing the death penalty in a new case.