Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2022

May 14, 2022

Tonight we grieve for the families of 10 people whose lives were senselessly taken and everyone who is suffering the physical and emotional wounds of this horrific shooting. We are grateful for the bravery of members of law enforcement and other first responders who took immediate action to try to protect and save lives. The First Lady and I are praying for the victims and their families, and hearts all across this country are with the people of Buffalo.

We still need to learn more about the motivation for today's shooting as law enforcement does its work, but we don't need anything else to state a clear moral truth: A racially motivated hate crime is abhorrent to the very fabric of this Nation. Any act of domestic terrorism, including an act perpetrated in the name of a repugnant White nationalist ideology, is antithetical to everything we stand for in America. Hate must have no safe harbor. We must do everything in our power to end hate-fueled domestic terrorism.

NOTE: The statement referred to Roberta A. Drury, Margus D. Morrison, Andre Mackniel, Aaron Salter, Geraldine Talley, Celestine Chaney, Heyward Patterson, Katherine Massey, Pearl Young, and Ruth Whitfield, who were killed in the shooting at Tops Friendly Markets grocery store.

Categories: Statements by the President : Buffalo, NY, shooting.

Names: Biden, Jill T.; Chaney, Celestine; Drury, Roberta A.; Mackniel, Andre; Massey, Katherine; Morrison, Margus D.; Patterson, Heyward; Salter, Aaron; Talley, Geraldine; Whitfield, Ruth; Young, Pearl.

Subjects: Law enforcement and crime : Domestic terrorism and extremist violence, efforts to combat; Law enforcement and crime : Law enforcement officers, service and dedication; Law enforcement and crime : New York : Buffalo :: Shooting.

DCPD Number: DCPD202200404.

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