"Federal Case Pursues Death Penalty for Buffalo Supermarket Shooter"

Federal prosecutors have announced their decision to seek the death penalty against Payton Gendron, a white supremacist who killed 10 Black people in a mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket. The gunman, who is already serving a life sentence without parole for state charges, targeted the largely Black East Side neighborhood to "maximize the number of Black victims." The announcement has elicited mixed reactions from the victims' families, with some expressing relief at the decision for providing certainty, while others voiced disappointment and emphasized the ongoing pain and suffering. This marks the first time Attorney General Merrick Garland has authorized a new pursuit of the death penalty, despite the Justice Department's rarity in seeking federal death penalty cases under President Biden's opposition to capital punishment.