[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3512-H3517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TOPS SUPERMARKET SHOOTING IN BUFFALO, NEW
YORK
(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Kennedy
of New York was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the
minority leader.)
General Leave
Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend
their remarks and to submit extraneous material in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Knott). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart
as we commemorate the fourth anniversary of the Tops Supermarket
shooting in my community of Buffalo, New York.
On May 14, 2022, 4 years ago today, a racist white supremacist
terrorist traveled more than 2\1/2\ hours to the only grocery store in
a predominantly Black neighborhood on the east side of Buffalo to carry
out a targeted act of pure hatred.
Motivated by racism and hate in his heart, the gunman entered Tops
Friendly Markets with enhanced body armor and an AR-style rifle. He
shot 13 people, 10 of them fatally.
On this solemn anniversary, we remember the precious souls we lost 4
years ago today:
Andre Mackniel, beloved father and brother;
Celestine Chaney, a cancer survivor and grandmother to six beautiful
children;
Geraldine Talley, a proud mother, a sister to eight siblings, and an
aunt;
Heyward Patterson, a deacon at the State Tabernacle Church of God in
Christ in Buffalo;
Kat Massey, a civil rights activist, volunteer, and fierce advocate
for gun violence prevention;
Margus Morrison, a father and an aide for the Buffalo Public Schools;
Pearl Young, a teacher in the Buffalo School District and pillar in
her church community;
Roberta Drury, an active community member, sister, and caregiver;
Ruth Whitfield, a devoted caretaker, wife, mother, and grandmother;
and
Lieutenant Aaron Salter, Jr., a public servant, retired Buffalo
police officer, and a hero who sacrificed his life that day to serve
those around him.
In just 123 seconds, those 10 innocent lives were stolen from us,
marking one of the darkest days in Buffalo's history and in America's
history.
The perpetrator, radicalized by white supremacist content online,
fired a barrage of 50 shots, hellbent on one goal: killing as many
Black community members as possible, all while live streaming it to the
world.
It was a sick and twisted act of hatred and racist violence in
America.
Today is a difficult day for our community, for the people of western
New York, and for our country, as we mourn those we lost due to this
senseless act of racist gun violence.
Yet, the carnage on that day could have been far worse if it weren't
for the heroic actions of Lieutenant Aaron Salter, Jr., a 30-year
veteran of the Buffalo Police Department.
That afternoon, Lieutenant Salter was working as a security guard at
Tops Friendly Market. When he heard the gunshots, Lieutenant Salter
acted without hesitation and leapt into action to protect our
community, firing at the shooter and hitting his target, but because
this hate-filled terrorist was armed with enhanced body armor and
tactical gear, Lieutenant Salter's shots did not penetrate, and he,
too, was murdered.
Lieutenant Salter died a hero, buying other patrons precious seconds
to hide or escape as a result of his unwavering courage and his
willingness to protect those in harm's way.
Mr. Speaker, I want to ask those listening here throughout the
Capitol Complex and at home to join me to pause for a moment of silence
to honor the 10 individuals who should be with us here today.
Mr. Speaker, because of this hateful act, Buffalo joined an ever-
growing list of communities that have been scarred by mass shootings.
From Newtown to Monterey Park, to Parkland, to Uvalde, and so many
places in between, countless communities across our country, and to
Buffalo, we are united today in mourning and in commemoration as we
work to ensure that we one day will live in a world where these hateful
acts will not happen.
When Columbine happened 27 years ago, there was a national promise
that we would do everything possible to prevent another tragedy like
it, but, yet, entire generations of children have now grown up with the
normalization of mass shootings.
That reality cannot become normal. We must not allow this to become a
permanent reality.
On the fourth anniversary of this tragedy in Buffalo, we must use
this opportunity to advocate for the advancement of commonsense gun
violence prevention legislation in the name of every single person we
have lost because of a lack of it.
We must condemn acts of hateful, racist violence in all forms, and we
must come together as Americans to ensure that our supermarkets, our
places of worship, our schools, and everywhere else in our community
are free from the scourge of gun violence.
This body has a moral obligation to take action. Our charge, on both
sides of the aisle, must be to enact the commonsense reforms that the
vast majority of Americans overwhelmingly support in order to keep our
community safe and prosperous.
{time} 1750
We must enact a permanent assault weapons ban and make sure that
military-grade body armor is only in the hands of our Armed Forces and
law enforcement. We must crack down on ghost guns, straw purchasing,
and deadly accessories that turn handguns into semiautomatic weapons.
We must close the Charleston loophole. We must expand red flag laws.
[[Page H3513]]
We must strengthen our mental health support networks. We must
reaffirm our commitment to ending the gun violence epidemic that
plagues this country once and for all.
Today, you will hear from Members of the Congressional Black Caucus
and the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. My colleagues from all over
the country will join me in honoring the victims of the Top Supermarket
shooting, condemning racially motivated violence in all forms, and
calling for an end to the gun violence epidemic that plagues this
country.
Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan
(Ms. Tlaib).
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, as we stand here, I know the community is
trying to heal as we mark the over 4-year anniversary since 10 of our
Black neighbors were targeted and murdered while grocery shopping at a
supermarket in Buffalo.
I think it is important to understand there was intentionality here
and how the killer chose the location. We all know their lives were
stolen due to racism, extremism, and the unchecked epidemic of gun
violence plaguing our country.
I always must ask this to my colleagues: How many more families need
to mourn before Congress acts? How many more children need to lose
their lives before we act?
Every day, people are killed by guns in mass shootings, domestic
violence incidents, suicides, and preventable accidents. Entire
communities are traumatized again and again by this violence.
Far too often, the victims are children. I stand in honor of a 9-
year-old boy in Oakland County, Michigan, who accidentally shot himself
in the face with an unsecured firearm. I stand in honor of a 6-year-old
girl in Detroit, Michigan, who was accidentally shot and killed by an
unsecured handgun in March. Even in that same weekend, another 6-year-
old girl was hospitalized after she accidentally shot herself with an
unsecured firearm. In Wayne County alone, 39 children have been killed
or injured since 2020 after finding unsecured firearms.
It is not just mass shootings. It is also a fact that we must take
measures to protect and store these guns. Protecting our loved ones,
especially our babies, should not be a partisan issue.
I call on this Congress to act on gun safety legislation, including
the Safe Storage Saves Lives Act. It would require firearm sellers to
provide every purchaser with a gun lock. I always used to raise it and
show people that it cost $10 to secure the gun.
The Safe Storage Saves Lives Act would be commonsense gun safety
legislation. It is sitting right here in Congress, waiting for a vote.
While we wait for a vote, families are grieving loved ones.
Mr. Speaker, I ask and demand that our Congress have the courage to
act to end this madness.
Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Latimer).
Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Kennedy for his
compassion and his humanity.
This tragedy occurred in Buffalo, and it was a racist crime against
Black people in Buffalo. This crime is a crime against humanity, people
of all ethnic backgrounds, and it is a crime that could happen in any
place across this country.
My home is 375 miles away from the site of this crime. Yet, we, too,
are affected by the same policies that have allowed this tragedy to
happen.
The young man who committed this crime, motivated by racism and
radicalized on the internet, drove 200 miles, half the distance between
my home and Congressman Kennedy's home. He drove 200 miles to
particularly target this supermarket in an African-American
neighborhood. What depth of depravity causes a human being to do that?
All of us, whether our skin is white or black, whether we trace our
heritage to Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, or Europe, have to
see this as a crime against all humans. It is dehumanizing to take a
weapon of mass destruction into a supermarket to kill people who are
shopping, who are just there doing the average thing that we all do
every day.
As my colleague from Michigan pointed out, there is legislation in
this Chamber that needs to become law. It needs to have support not
just from people of color but from those of us who represent every area
and every demographic in this country. The next victims could be
anywhere in this country.
It is important to understand that the people of Buffalo have allies
all across New York State. We grieve with them. We stand by our
brothers and sisters from Buffalo, as we do those in all the sad places
that Congressman Kennedy referenced.
Mr. Speaker, we must make a commitment that, out of this tragedy and
on this anniversary, there will be a resolve to make sure this doesn't
happen again. We have to act quickly. The efforts to warp people's
minds and to convince them that violence is the future of America are
moving very quickly, even as those of us who believe in peace and
brotherhood have to respond.
I thank Congressman Kennedy for his leadership and friendship.
Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Latimer for
his remarks.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. McBath).
Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Kennedy for gathering
us here this evening on this very somber anniversary. He truly is
honoring his community in Buffalo very well. I actually have family
members in his district. He is their Member of Congress.
Four years ago, 10 innocent people lost their lives in an act of hate
at a place that we all know very well. We frequent our grocery stores
all the time. A man decided that a group of people just simply didn't
deserve to live because of the color of their skin.
The shooter in Buffalo used an assault weapon so that he could kill
as many people as possible in as little time as possible. We should all
think that this is absolutely horrifying.
Thankfully, though, he was brought to justice because our justice
system took action and sentenced him to life in prison, where he is
now. The families of these grandmothers, fathers, sons, and sisters
were actually able to take solace in knowing that something was done to
ensure this man would never harm their communities again.
My heart remains with all the families as they remember their loved
ones. I still pray for every single family of every tragedy because I
know exactly how they feel. That is what continues to drive me to
action.
These families deserve better. Every family that we lose across this
Nation deserves better. No one should be subjected to violence while
they go about their daily lives, running errands, going to church,
going to the movie theater, going to school, or going to festivities.
Weapons of war simply do not belong on our streets. They don't belong
in our churches and definitely not in our grocery stores.
The assault weapons ban, which I have held since 2023, has proven to
prevent death by firearms. I have also introduced the GOSAFE Act, a
lifesaving bill that focuses on the internal operations of
semiautomatic guns, not the cosmetic components that gun sellers tend
to modify to find loopholes.
{time} 1800
It is so far past time that we pass both of these bills and so many
other pieces of good, comprehensive gun safety legislation to save
lives and to ensure that no more families experience the excruciating
pain of losing their loved ones in a senseless act of gun violence.
This country deserves better. Our kids deserve better. The victims of
this senseless shooting, they deserve better, every one of them. These
pictures, these human beings deserved better, and they should be with
us right now enjoying their lives today. These men and these women,
they deserve to see their grandchildren and children growing up, to
make their own marks in the world.
The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and Democrats have made
progress towards a safer country with helping to pass historic
legislation, but we have got to continue to stand for gun safety in
this country.
We are not going to forget those that were lost in Buffalo, and I
assure you I will not forget my son who was killed from unnecessary gun
violence. I will
[[Page H3514]]
not forget all the children at Sandy Hook, and I will not forget all
the children at Parkland, and I will most certainly not forget the
everyday gun violence and people that are dying in our communities
every day. Nobody even knows their names. They don't get the big
headlines in the newspaper. No one talks about them nationally, but
their families suffer in silence. We are not going to forget those that
were lost in Buffalo, and we are going to continue to fight to end gun
violence because hate absolutely has no place in this country.
Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman McBath
for her extraordinary courage and leadership in taking that pain of
hers and her family's and turning it into triumph and turning it into
positive action for our communities and our Nation. We are indebted to
her.
Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ivey).
Mr. IVEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from New York for putting
this together today. I thank the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and
the Congressional Black Caucus for joining in as well in support of
this effort.
The tragedy in Buffalo, unfortunately, is not a rare event. As you
just heard from my colleague, 10 people were gunned down using an
assault weapon that had been sold to an 18-year-old, an AR-15 that had
been modified. He gunned them down in cold blood, and he drove 200
miles to get to them because he wanted to kill African Americans. I
guess that was the closest he could get to find them, and that is what
he did that day.
He had been inspired, sadly, by another similar type of shooting, a
mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, just a few years before at
the Mother Emanuel Church. In fact, my colleague from New York and I
had a chance to go visit there just a few months ago, where nine people
were gunned down. The person had come into the church, sat through
Bible study with the African Americans that he later gunned down, and
killed nine of them.
I know the question that we have now. We had a long list of these
that happened on such a regular basis that sometimes people are numbed
by it, forget to keep track of it. It is a sad day that we have reached
from that standpoint.
A version of that too that I heard the other day in the hallways here
is the shooting that took place at the hotel where President Trump was
about to speak. One of the things that the person remarked to me was
that the older people were scared by the gunfire, but the younger folks
were not. I kind of wondered about that. Then I thought about it, and I
said: Well, this is the generation that has grown up, and instead of
doing fire drills, they have done active shooting drills. They have
been trained tragically in what to do when you hear gunfire like that.
Schools now sell bulletproof backpacks to protect kids--``protect
kids''--from this kind of gun violence and bulletproof chalkboards.
Think about that. How did we get to this place?
Then the next question, of course, is: How do we get out of it? We
have talked a little bit about some of the solutions to gun violence. I
have got to say that my Republican colleagues, sadly, are not in
support of nearly any of them that I am aware of. The ghost gun piece,
in particular, was a shock for me. Ghost guns, as you may know, are
untraceable guns. The only reason somebody would want a gun that is
untraceable is if you want to commit a crime and you want to make sure
that law enforcement cannot find you.
Why these guns would be legal is beyond me, but there was a period
where they were. We couldn't pass legislation to ban them, so the Biden
administration reached out to the ATF, which passed a regulation that
did ban them. The Trump Supreme Court, to my surprise, upheld that
regulation.
I thought, well, maybe it is a new day. Yesterday, in the Committee
on Appropriations, I am sorry to say, my Republican colleagues passed
language that would repeal the ban on ghost guns. The sad thing about
it is I think they were trying to do it sort of in the cover of dark
because they didn't offer an actual piece of legislation that would
have hearings and the like to do the same, because they would have to
stand up and defend it there, so they just tried to slip this in.
This is a tragic moment, I think, given all of the deaths, all of the
killings, all of the murders that we have seen year after year and now
decade after decade here in the United States.
I also would add this. We found some things that do work. You heard
about the assault weapons ban. I know that is a bridge too far for many
of my Republican colleagues--I guess all of them actually, because none
of them will even cosponsor legislation like that. I put together a
bill that is called Raise the Age, and it would raise the age from 18
to 21 to buy an assault-style weapon. It is already required that you
be 21 to buy handguns, and that was a bill that was put in place by the
Ronald Reagan administration.
I thought maybe we can get some support for this. There was not one
Republican cosponsor for that bill. The shooter in Buffalo was 18 years
old, and he bought the gun by himself without anybody to monitor it.
The shooter in Charleston, he was 21, but he should have been caught by
the background check. He slipped through, though, because it was
underfunded and they didn't have enough people to make sure they caught
and did all of the checks. Even though he should have been flagged and
he was, they didn't have the bodies to do the follow through. He got
the gun, and we know what he did after that.
Then, lastly, on this point, some of the things that we found that
also work is not just enforcement. It is also intervention and
prevention. We found grants that help with violence in the street, to
reduce it. They help by reaching young people before they get too deep
into trouble or help to get them out before they get too far along with
it. But the Trump administration has cut 400 of those grants worth $815
million. The funds that would be used to help prevent street violence
or, even worse, gun violence in our schools has been cut back.
I say this on this day of remembrance: I call upon all of my
colleagues--I know we don't agree on everything. In fact, we don't
agree on a lot, but let's see if we can find a solution to this. My
Republican colleagues want to protect the Second Amendment. That is
great, but we have got to be able to find a way to protect the Second
Amendment and protect second-graders at the same time. Let's get this
done. Let's get this done.
{time} 1810
Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Ivey very
much for his remarks.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly).
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Kennedy so
much for gathering us.
Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the
Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, I rise today to remember the 10
lives stolen, the 3 people injured, and the survivors of the hateful
mass shooting in Buffalo 4 years ago.
I remember their lives, but I also urge Congress to actually do
something meaningful to honor them and all survivors of gun violence.
Congress passed the first Federal gun safety law in nearly 30 years,
but the American people cannot wait another 30 years.
There are pieces of legislation waiting to be passed and programs
that are waiting for funding that have already been approved. Over 110
Americans are dying every single day. Instead, the Trump administration
has only exacerbated this public health crisis and fanned the flames of
racist rhetoric and violence.
We have witnessed hateful rhetoric turn into hate crimes for far too
long. We must condemn racism, full stop. Moments of silence are not
enough. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. The victims and survivors
of the shooting in Buffalo and across the country deserve better from
Congress. They deserve action.
We need universal background checks, red flag laws, safe storage,
assault weapons ban, community violence intervention funding, and
better support for survivors. The gun lobby responsible for putting
profits over people's safety must be held accountable.
I have asked for about 13 years now in Congress just who or how many
have
[[Page H3515]]
to be maimed or die before we take action. It is not first graders. It
is not people worshipping in their church. It is not a young lady
playing in the park. It is not a young man coming out of choir
practice. It is not a young man riding on the CTA bus. It is not even
Members of Congress that have moved us, but I will not stop fighting
until everyone, no matter where they live, the color of their skin, who
they love, or even how they vote, we all need to live free from gun
violence.
Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Kelly for
her remarks.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs.
McIver).
Mrs. McIVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand alongside my
colleague Congressman Tim Kennedy to commemorate the fourth anniversary
of the Tops supermarket shooting in Buffalo, New York.
Ten people, ten loved ones, ten members of a community left home to
run errands on what should have been a normal day. They showed up to
Tops to buy groceries for their families. Like most of us, this was one
of the last places they would ever think that they would be in danger.
That day, a white supremacist walked into a Tops supermarket and
turned an average store on a day into a site of terror. This was racial
terrorism. The shooter was radicalized by white supremacists on the
internet to the point he livestreamed the attack.
It gets to the point where our Nation continues to see history repeat
itself because we refuse to learn from the past.
Across the aisle, people refuse to accept that an 18 year old should
not have access to a military grade firearm. They refuse to accept that
when white supremacy is allowed and normalized on the internet, the
consequences are devastating.
Buffalo is a painful reminder of the racism and gun violence crisis
affecting all of our Nation. We are at the point where families live
with the sound of gunshots as background noise and children are taught
lockdown drills in school before they fully understand and learn
algebra.
The worst part of it all is that our Nation has started to treat this
like it is normal, like there is nothing we can do about it.
We cannot keep treating it like an inevitable part of American life,
but if we only commemorate and remember names and cities without
actions, we are disrespecting the families who wake up with the trauma
of losing their loved ones every day. Thoughts without policy are not
enough. The families in Buffalo should not have to watch us commemorate
this tragedy year after year without meaningful change.
Tonight, we honor the victims of Buffalo. We stand with Congressman
Kennedy who is their voice here. We mourn with their families. We
condemn white supremacy and racially motivated violence that is showing
its face far too often.
Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman McIver
and all of my colleagues that have joined me here this evening.
The western New York community, the national community was impacted
in a gut-wrenching way on May 14, 2022.
I vividly remember the minutes, hours, and days after the shooting.
As it occurred, I was with my family out of town when I received a call
from Zeneta Everhart, then my director of diversity, equity, and
inclusion in my New York State Senate office, who is now president pro
tempore of the Buffalo Common Council, representing the Masten
District.
She herself had just received the most awful phone call any parent
can imagine. Her only child, Zaire, an employee at Tops, called her
screaming and crying. ``Mom, Mom, I have been shot.''
Zaire had been doing what any parent would want their child to be
doing: He was helping an elderly customer load her groceries into her
car. That is when the first shots were fired in the parking lot.
Zaire was shot and went to the ground, unable to get himself up, and
in that moment, finding the courage and strength in being able to
remove himself from the situation and run for help.
Time stood still. Nothing prepares a parent for that call and nothing
prepares a friend on how to best be there to provide comfort and
support. Zaire was the only Black person shot that day who survived. By
the grace of God he survived.
He had been hit in the neck and the shoulder with a hollow point
bullet shot by an AR-15 rifle. He is now alive and thriving, giving all
glory to God, but the physical and emotional scars will live with him
and his family forever.
Frantic phone calls to friends, family, colleagues in government, and
law enforcement followed for me as we struggled to understand what had
happened.
I immediately got into my car, left my family, and drove 5 hours back
to Buffalo. I had to see my friend. I had to be with our community, and
I had to make sure that she and they knew that they had the support of
our entire community every step of the way.
When I arrived back to Buffalo to be with Zeneta and our neighbors as
we processed the gravity of what had just occurred, our whole city was
going through the same process, feeling an excruciating combination of
emotions: despair, heartbreak, rage, anger, confusion, but also
resolve.
In the face of one of the most unimaginable tragedies and hardships
that the City of Good Neighbors, Buffalo, New York, had ever
experienced, we received support not just from each other but
statewide, nationally, and even internationally.
We saw an almost immediate call to action to enact gun violence
prevention legislation at the State level in the New York State
legislature just days later. It was legislation that I was incredibly
proud to help craft and pass.
{time} 1820
We demanded action federally, including when I joined Zeneta here on
the Hill as she testified before the House, along with the son of Ruth
Whitfield, another victim, former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell
Whitfield, and the families of the victims of the Uvalde massacre,
which spurred the first Federal gun violence action in decades.
We saw a devastated community finding the resolve to come together as
one with compassion, solidarity, and resilience. We met hatred and evil
with love and friendship because love always conquers hate.
There were food donations for a neighborhood that was reeling and had
lost its only supermarket. World Central Kitchen was on the ground
within days, ensuring that a grieving community could break bread
together over a hot meal and begin to process the trauma they had
endured.
We had visits from President Biden and Vice President Harris,
reminding us that an entire nation stood by our side. We saw memorials
sprout up almost immediately, a raw display of the pain that we felt.
We saw the creation of a 5/14 Memorial Foundation and Living Memorial
and Healing Center, dedicated to honoring the lives of those lost and
supporting the victims' families.
As we buried our 10 neighbors, we honored each of them for the lives
that they lived. We committed to ourselves that their memories would
not be forgotten and that their legacies would live on.
I personally promised each family at every funeral that their loved
ones would not die in vain, that their memories would spur us as a
community and, ultimately, as a nation into action to prevent further
tragedies like this from occurring.
Under Councilwoman Everhart's leadership, Buffalo has established an
Office of Gun Violence Prevention, showing that even in the face of
Federal inaction, communities can still take charge of their own
future.
We continue to witness a never-ending pursuit of justice for the
innocent victims who were gunned down.
Today, while the trauma for many still lingers, we are reminded of
that resolve, the unwavering sense of community and dedication to one
another, united in mourning but motivated by the shared desire to enact
change. Part of that change, as mentioned by my colleagues, is enacting
gun violence prevention legislation.
Mr. Speaker, in memory of Lieutenant Salter and his fellow victims
who
[[Page H3516]]
died on this day 4 years ago, I am proud to lead the Aaron Salter, Jr.,
Responsible Body Armor Possession Act. This bill, which I am proud to
co-lead with Congresswoman Grace Meng, bans the sale and ownership of
enhanced body armor--hard-shell, military-grade, rifle-resistant body
armor that was used to carry out the Tops mass shooting. This is body
armor that should only be in the hands of our military and law
enforcement.
On 5/14, the terrorist acted in just 123 seconds to murder 10
innocent individuals and severely injure 3 others, all thanks to the
enhanced body armor that protected him from Lieutenant Salter's shots
and an assault rifle that allowed him to fire rapidly. No civilian
should have access to military-grade body armor, equipment that is
designed for war, not our streets.
The Lieutenant Aaron Salter, Jr., Responsible Body Armor Possession
Act ensures that no civilian can possess military-grade body armor ever
again--armor that has been used in mass shootings across the United
States: Sutherland Springs, Texas; Aurora, Colorado; Boulder, Colorado;
San Bernardino, California; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The list
goes on and on and on.
Through this legislation, we can ensure that enhanced body armor
never falls into the wrong hands again. With the support of 27 of my
House Democratic cosponsors, currently, and growing, I call on the U.S.
House of Representatives to pass this critical, commonsense
legislation.
The legislation and our action must not end there. Gun violence
legislation can help stop mass shootings. We have deep wounds in this
country that we must work on together to heal. While gun violence
legislation can help stop mass shootings, I believe, with every fiber
of my being, that we cannot discuss May 14, 2022, without acknowledging
the underlying cause--the scourge of white supremacy, a legacy of our
Nation's original sin of slavery.
Before the advent of this Nation, families were torn apart and
trafficked across the Atlantic in unimaginably torturous conditions to
be sold to the highest bidder, treated like livestock. Making it all
worse, it was legal. From the three-fifths compromise to the Fugitive
Slave Act to the Dred Scott decision, an entire legal framework was set
up to enforce white supremacy, and I am just scratching the surface.
Even after the Civil War, when slavery was abolished at the cost of
hundreds of thousands of lives, and despite the passage of the 13th,
14th, and 15th Amendments, that legal framework continued under the
guise of Jim Crow laws--grandfather clauses, poll taxes, literacy
tests--all legal but deeply immoral.
It continued in the shadows through hate groups like the Ku Klux
Klan. It took our country another century to pass the Civil Rights Act
and the Voting Rights Act. Yet, still, that original sin remains.
It remains in the tacit racism we see through redlining and food
deserts. It remains with the Supreme Court's evisceration of the Voting
Rights Act, allowing States to break up communities of color and
silence their voices. It remains with the vile concepts like the great
replacement theory, often peddled by anti-American voices on the far
right, including people in Congress whom we serve with today.
With the advent of social media, we have thrown gasoline on the fire,
allowing this toxic worldview to spread even faster, with dire
consequences.
That hatred led a man to plan this massacre in Buffalo 4 years ago.
He purchased his weapon and body armor. He modified his rifle and
purchased some of the deadliest ammunition available, crossing State
lines. He researched his target, drove nearly 3 hours, and opened fire.
He bears responsibility for his actions, and he will never see the
light of day as a free man again.
We must raise our children to view their fellow human beings with
dignity, with kindness, with empathy, and with acceptance. If we don't,
then the list of hate-motivated shootings will continue to grow. More
cities will be added to the list after Buffalo, El Paso, Pittsburgh,
Charleston, and Orlando.
Nobody believes that we can legislate hatred away, but the policies
advanced here in Washington have cascading effects across our country.
When we allow communities of color to be silenced, we are strengthening
hate. When we stick our heads in the sand and push forward a rose-
colored version of our history and whitewash our history, we only
enable bigotry to take root.
When we refuse to learn from the lessons of the past, we are dooming
ourselves to a future filled with violence, and that is something we
can control. It is something we can legislate. I invite my colleagues
on both sides of the aisle and from all political points of view to
join us in this fight, or else this carnage will only continue.
{time} 1830
Mr. Speaker, in honor of these beautiful souls, these wonderful and
beautiful souls that were lost, I would like to read into the
Congressional Record a little bit about each of them.
Lieutenant Aaron Salter, Jr., a hero and public servant who saved
lives that day as he confronted the shooter without hesitation.
He was a loving husband, father, friend, and colleague to many over
his years in public service. In his spare time, he was a musician. He
took a keen interest in cars. He enjoyed taking trips with his family.
He will be remembered not just for the selflessly heroic actions he
took that day to save lives but for the person he was and his
contributions to our community.
His memory lives on in each of us as a shining example of
citizenship, bravery, and love.
Andre Mackneil was at the supermarket on that fateful day to buy a
surprise birthday cake for his 3-year-old son, Andre Mackneil, Jr. He
never came home with his son's birthday cake.
Andre loved basketball, playing the guitar, writing poems, and
listening to music. But most of all, he loved his family. He loved his
children. He loved his siblings. He loved his grandchildren.
Today, 4 years later, Andre's loved ones are forced to reckon with
grief every day as they navigate his absence.
Celestine Chaney was a devoted mother to her son, Wayne, a loving
grandmother of six, and the youngest of four sisters. She was survived
by her partner and fiance, Raymond Johnson.
A fighter in every sense of the word, she had beaten breast cancer
and survived multiple brain aneurysms, odds that would have broken
most.
But on a day like any other, while picking up ingredients for the
strawberry shortcake she was making for her family, she was taken from
this world far too soon.
Geraldine Talley, known as Gerri to her friends and family, was 62
years old. She was a devoted member of our community who worked at a
nonprofit assisting people with mental illness and related substance
abuse issues.
She loved to cook for her family and friends. She was at Tops on 5/14
shopping for a few ingredients for a weekly waterfront picnic with her
fiance.
Gerri left behind her children, Genicia Smith and Mark Tally, Jr.; a
stepdaughter, Marquish Jacobs; four siblings; and her beloved fiance,
Gregory Allen.
Katherine Massey, known to many as Kat, was 72 years old. Kat worked
for 40 years for Blue Cross Blue Shield and was always committed to the
betterment of our community.
She was a longtime campaigner against gun violence, founding We Are
Women Warriors with her friends Betty Jean Grant and Dr. Eva Doyle. She
was a regular contributor to the Buffalo Challenger and The Buffalo
Criterion.
Kat was also an active resident in Buffalo's Fruit Belt neighborhood,
helping to form a block club and successfully fighting for the creation
of a new public park on her home street of Cherry Street.
She is survived by her siblings and her nieces and nephews.
Heyward Patterson was 67 years old. He was in his truck waiting for a
friend he drove to Tops to pick up groceries, something he often did
for those in need.
A deeply devoted servant of God, Heyward was a deacon at the State
Tabernacle Church of God in Christ in Buffalo.
According to his fellow churchgoers, Deacon Patterson was often the
first one to arrive and the last to leave. He helped open and close the
church, clean, shovel, and he volunteered in every capacity, including
in the church's soup kitchen.
[[Page H3517]]
He is survived by his three children, his beloved wife, as well as
his parents, siblings, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Margus Morrison, a beloved and devoted father, built his life in
Buffalo raising his children with his companion of 25 years, Regina
Patterson, and serving as an aid for the Buffalo public schools.
Margus was just 52 years old when his life was stolen from us. He was
known as a reliable and steady presence in our community who was always
there when his loved ones needed him.
Margus' family and friends remember a kind and generous person whose
sense of humor and unwavering support defined every moment they shared
with him.
Pearl Young, was a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, and
the devoted wife of Oliver Young, Jr.
A graduate of the University of Buffalo, Pearl served as a substitute
teacher at Buffalo Public Schools for 20 years.
In her free time she was active with the Good Samaritan Church of God
and Christ in Cheektowaga where she taught Sunday school and
volunteered at the parish's food pantry.
She was the loving mother of James, Pamela, Damon and sister of Annie
Ruth Winston and Jean Craig. She was a grandmother to 10 and a great-
grandmother to 7.
Roberta Drury was 32 years old. She moved to Buffalo to help care for
her brother who was recovering from his battle with leukemia. She was
murdered while picking up groceries for him.
Robbie, as she was called growing up, was the kind soul defined by
her unwavering love for family and a smile that was known to light up a
room.
She was survived by her parents, her grandfather, her beloved
siblings, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, nephews, cousins, and
friends.
Ruth Whitfield was the mother of our community. Ruth Whitfield was 86
years old. She was a longtime parishioner at Durham Memorial A.M.E.
Zion Church where she sang in the choir.
She was a devoted wife, caring for her husband and soulmate of 68
years, Garnell Whitfield.
Earlier that day on May 14, Ruth had visited her husband at the
nursing home just as she had done every day and had made a stop at the
grocery store on her way home.
She left behind her husband and their children along with nine
grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and five great-great-
grandchildren.
May all of their souls rest in peace. Our city, our State, our
community, and our country mourn with them, but we are driven in their
memory to do better for all of us and for future generations that we
will never meet.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for joining me
here today to honor the souls that we lost on May 14, 2022, 4 years ago
today.
I want to thank the Congressional Black Caucus and the Gun Violence
Prevention Task Force for joining in as well in commemorating this
fourth anniversary of the Tops Friendly Markets massacre.
Today, we honor the victims and their families, and we urge this body
to pass meaningful gun violence prevention legislation to ensure we
live in a country free from tragedies like 5/14.
May God bless their souls. May God bless all of us. May God bless the
United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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