[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 88 (Friday, May 20, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E545]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   HONORING THE LIVES LOST IN THE MASS SHOOTING IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHRIS JACOBS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 20, 2022

  Mr. JACOBS of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor and 
commemorate the lives lost this past weekend in Buffalo, New York.
  Katherine ``Kat'' Massey--72
  Pearl Young--77
  Roberta Drury--32
  Ruth Whitfield--86
  Geraldine Talley--62
  Celestine Chaney--65
  Heyward Patterson--67
  Andre Mackniel--53
  Margus Morrison--52
  Aaron Salter--55
  Madam Speaker, these are the names and the ages of the 0O people who 
were brutally and senselessly murdered in my hometown of Buffalo, New 
York. I rise to record their names in these hallowed Chambers.
  I stand here in solidarity for their deaths and for the suffering 
that their families and friends are enduring right now. I have thought 
of little else since this carnage occurred on a beautiful Saturday 
afternoon in Buffalo.
  The murderer--whom I will not give the satisfaction of saying his 
name--targeted this grocery store and this neighborhood because it was 
heavily populated with African Americans. As our sheriff, stated, this 
was a racially motivated act and this was a hate crime.
  I do not have the honor of representing this community in Congress, 
but I have represented it previously. I served for many years on the 
Buffalo Board of Education and frequented this area, there are many of 
our schools in close proximity. Through my service on the Buffalo Board 
of Education, I came to know Katherine ``Kat'' Massey who was one of 
the victims. Kat was a tireless advocate for Buffalo's children and her 
impact to her community will be felt for generations.
  I grew up in Buffalo. Buffalo is a great place for many reasons--
beautiful architecture, the shores of Lake Erie and the Niagara River, 
its bucolic neighborhoods all contribute--but what makes our community 
so very special is the people. Kind, warm, fun, with a priority on 
family, friends and community. That is, in my mind, what makes Buffalo 
the spectacularly special place it is.
  These 10 represented some of the best of Buffalo, and we mourn their 
tragic loss.
  I will conclude by saying this: our city is right now in the national 
spotlight. The politicians and the media have their sights set here due 
to this vile and horrific tragedy. But predictably and inevitably the 
national attention will fade, and it will be our community's task to 
heal and it's my great hope that we come together in this healing 
process. I hope we unify, and we do not succumb to division and 
polarization. In honor of those lost, in our healing we become a 
stronger and more loving community.
  I conclude by quoting a sign someone put in a front yard in our 
community that says: ``I love you. You're probably thinking, you don't 
even know me. But if people can hate for no reason, I can love.''

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