A gunman sporting a rifle and body armor opened fire in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killing at least 10 people before being taken into custody on Saturday afternoon, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.
Details on the number of additional people shot at the Tops Friendly Market and their conditions weren’t immediately available. The two officials were not permitted to speak publicly on the matter and did so on condition of anonymity.
Investigators believe the man may have been livestreaming the shooting and were looking into whether he had posted a manifesto online, one official said. The official said the investigation was in its preliminary stages and that authorities hadn’t yet discerned a clear motive.
The supermarket is about three miles north of downtown Buffalo. The surrounding area is primarily residential, with a Family Dollar store and fire station near the supermarket.
Buffalo police confirmed the shooter was in custody but did not identify the suspect. Police officials and a spokesperson for the supermarket chain did not immediately respond to messages from the AP seeking comment.
Witnesses reported the gunman was wearing military-style clothing in addition to the body armor, one of the officials said.
Braedyn Kephart and Shane Hill, both 20, pulled into the parking lot just as the shooter was exiting. They described him as a white male in his late teens or early 20s sporting full camo, a black helmet and what appeared to be a rifle.
“He was standing there with the gun to his chin,” Kephart said. “He ripped off his helmet, dropped his gun and was tackled by the police.”
Police closed off the block, lined by spectators, and yellow police taped surrounded the full parking lot.
Mayor Byron Brown and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz were at the scene late Saturday afternoon, gathered in a parking lot across the street from the Tops store and expected to address the media.
Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted that she was “closely monitoring the shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo,” her hometown. She said state officials have offered help to local authorities.
The Erie County Sheriff’s Office said on social media that it ordered all available personnel to assist Buffalo police.
Attorney General Merrick Garland was briefed on the shooting, Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said.
The shooting came little more than a year after a March 2021 attack at a King Soopers grocery in Boulder, Colorado, that killed 10 people.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
