The Tops Friendly Market that saw the scene of a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, in May is reopening on Friday the 15 of July 2022. The supermarket has been fully renovated since the deadly attack, store officials said.
Tops supermarket to reopen for the first time since the mass shooting in Buffalo
On May 14, Payton Gendron, 18, arrived at Tops Friendly Markets with ammunition and what authorities described as the “express purpose” of killing Black people. Ten people were killed in the attack and three others were wounded.
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed multiple federal hate crime charges against Gendron, some of which carry the possibility of the death penalty. A state grand jury also indicted the alleged shooter and he has pleaded not guilty. He has been in custody since the attack.
Following the deadly attack, Tops Friendly Markets announced it would remain closed “until further notice.” “When the time is right for all of us, we will reopen our doors on Jefferson Avenue. Until then, we remain here with you and for you in every way we possibly can,” store officials said May 18. John Persons, the president of the company said employees who no longer feel comfortable returning to the location will have other stores to work at if they choose, WKBW reported.
A “moment of silence and prayer” is scheduled for Thursday the 14 of July 2022 at 2:30 p.m. local time to “honor and respect all victims and impacted associates and community members.”
