A suspected white supremacist accused of gunning down 10 people and wounding three others in a live-streamed massacre at a Buffalo, NY supermarket on Saturday pleaded not guilty to one first degree murder charges.
Payton Gendron, 18, of Conklin, NY, who was barefoot, masked and wearing a paper smock, told the judge that he understood the charge against and was not guilty at an arraignment Saturday evening.
He has only been charged with one count of first-degree murder. Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said the judge ordered a forensic examination and ordered him held without bail.
‘We have taken the necessary steps to get him behind bars,’ he said. ‘That was justice. Getting that first murder charge filed immediately.’
The DA said that they are working with federal authorities to bring further terrorism, hate crime and murder charges.
He made no other comment, and Gendron’s lawyer confirmed he planned to plead not guilty to the killings. Conklin has since been pictured in social media profiles.
He lived with his dad Paul and mother Pamela, both of whom are engineers for the New York transit department.
Neighbors told DailyMail.com that the Gendrons are an unassuming family, and that news of Payton’s killings had shocked them to the core.
But Gendron’s fragile mental health drew the attention of school officials at the Susquehanna Valley High School and the New York State Police after he threated to shoot one of his schoolmates at graduation.
“A school official reported that this very troubled young man had made statements indicating that he wanted to do a shooting, either at a graduation ceremony, or sometime after,’ an anonymous official said.
Hours earlier Gendron was caught by police emerging from the Tops Friendly Supermarket, at 1275 Jefferson Avenue about 2.30pm after shooting 13 people, 10 fatally.
Police said 11 of those shot were black, with the other two white, and suggested Gendron had walked through the supermarket looking for specific people to target, although didn’t say whether this was based on the color of their skin.
Aaron Salter Jr, a former Buffalo police officer, is the first victim that’s been named in the attack. The father of three is being hailed as a hero after exchanging gunfire with Gendron inside the market.
Gendron apparently scrawled the n-word on his rifle before carrying out Saturday’s massacre at Tops Friendly Supermarket in Buffalo.
Three gunshot victims are being treated for their injuries, and cops say 11 of those shot were black.
Gendron lived-streamed the assault as he opened fire inside the Tops Friendly Supermarket, at 1275 Jefferson Avenue, at about 2.30pm.
Police described the incident as a ‘heavily armed’ attack.
‘He exited his vehicle. He was very heavily armed. He had tactical gear. He had a tactical helmet on. He had a camera that he was livestreaming what he was doing,’ city Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said at a news conference.