BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — It was an extremely emotional day in court Wednesday as family members of survivors and those who lost loved ones in the May 14 mass shooting, addressed the gunman.
"I was watching on my phone as most of us were watching," said Naseem Baynes, who described it as traumatic. "To think that somebody would want to just kill somebody just because they had a different skin complexion is not only asinine, but it is honestly insane."
19-year-old Payton Gendron came to Buffalo in May to kill as many black people as possible in what was a planned attack. On Wednesday he apologized in court, saying no one should ever be like him.
“I can honestly tell you that was the most gut-wrenching thing I have ever heard," said Baynes.
"He deserves everything he has coming his way," said Craig Elston, who owns a barbershop two miles from the Jefferson Avenue Tops. Elston said customers were watching the sentencing and you could see the emotional pain.
"You can see the hurt and pain in people’s face," said Elston.
“I felt the frustrations of the family members," said Grady Lewis who grew up in east Buffalo. "When they were speaking, all I could think of is we're second-class citizens on our own land."
Gendron visited Tops before the shooting, and Lewis said he spoke to him on May 13. Lewis said the sentencing meant nothing to him, as there needs to be change moving forward.
"I asked him about black history he didn’t know anything about black history," said Lewis about Gendron.
Before Judge Susan Eagan sentenced Gendron to life behind bars, she addressed the court saying through all the love in Buffalo there is a long way to go to end hate and racism.
“Very long way to go," said Lewis. "I loved her statement. She laid out everything, first time I heard someone in power actually lay out the truth”
