BUFFALO — The city of Buffalo on Tuesday marked the second anniversary of a racist mass shooting that killed 10 Black people with the dedication of a memorial space honoring the victims.
In addition, Niagara Falls was among state landmarks lit in honor of the victims of the shooting on Tuesday night.
In Buffalo, anchoring the space outside the Tops supermarket targeted in the attack is a sculpture entitled “Unity,” which features purple metal pillars representing each person killed. Three gold pillars represent those who were wounded.
The sculpture by Buffalo artist Valeria Cray and her son, Hiram Cray, is part of the newly constructed 5/14 Tops Honor Space, a small park-like area with benches, pillars and gardens.
“It’s still so traumatic,” said Buffalo resident Lisa Kragbe as she sat on a bench in the Honor Space before a ceremony attended by city, state and federal officials. She said people still have trouble going into the store, which was renovated after the attack.
Those lost during the May 14, 2022, mass shooting are Pearl Young, Ruth Whitfield, Margus D. Morrison, Andre Mackniel, Aaron Salter Jr., Geraldine Talley, Katherine Massey, Roberta A. Drury, Heyward Patterson, and Celestine Chaney. The injured survivors are Zaire Goodman, Jennifer Warrington, and Christopher Braden.
Payton Gendron, who is white, is serving a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole after he pleaded guilty to state charges of murder and hate-motivated domestic terrorism. Gendron, who was 18 when he livestreamed the massacre after driving three hours from his home in Conklin, New York, could face the death penalty if convicted of pending federal hate crimes. He has pleaded not guilty in that case.
The Honor space also includes a pear tree gifted to Buffalo through the 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s Survivor Tree Seedling Program. Seedlings from a tree pulled from the World Trade Center rubble after 9/11, are sent to communities that embody the tree’s spirit.
A larger memorial for the victims is planned off-site.
Gov. Kathy Hochul also announced that progress is being made by the grassroots, community-driven initiatives established to address trauma, mental health, and emotional wellness in the East Buffalo community. Funded through a pair of federal grants, the ‘Reimagine: I am the Change’ initiative has created a network of community supports, including several grassroots wellness initiatives; a mobile Black mental health outreach and response team; and a training initiative to expand the number of community members equipped to offer emotional support and psychological first aid in East Buffalo.
“On the two-year anniversary of the horrific attack at Tops, our commitment to supporting East Buffalo remains as steadfast as ever,” Hochul said. “The projects and initiatives launched as part of ‘Reimagine: I am the Change’ are addressing gaps in services and promoting resilience to counter the systemic inequities and race-based traumatic stress that have negatively impacted this community for decades.”
Administered by the State Office of Mental Health, the ‘Reimagine: I am the Change’ initiative is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which provided a $2.35 million Emergency Response grant, or SERG award, and a $4 million Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma, or ReCAST award. These awards were made in direct response to the racially motivated shooting at Tops Market in East Buffalo that claimed the lives of 10 individuals — all of them Black.
Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan added, “These projects and initiatives – each developed with direct input from the East Buffalo community – are tailored to the specific and unique mental health needs of this community. While nothing can erase the pain and suffering inflicted by this tragedy, the outcome of these grants will be a stronger, more resilient community.”