BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Families impacted by the Buffalo mass shooting delivered emotional statements during the gunman's sentencing on Wednesday.
A total of 13 people spoke, and one by one, gut-wrenching moments from the statements were delivered.
Michelle Spight lost two members of her family in the massacre, she is the niece of Pearl Young and the cousin of Margus Morrison. Spight read off emotional letters from the brother of Morrison and the daughter of Young.
Barbara Mapps bravely faced the gunman who murdered her sister, Katherine "Kat" Massey, telling him he killed her sister who was a great person, and that he gunned down her only because of the color of her skin.
"You going to come to our city and decide you don't like Black people. Man, you don't know a damn thing about Black people," Mapps said.
As Mapps was speaking, a man attempted to rush Gendron but was stopped by court guards. Gendron was removed from the courtroom and the judge took a brief break before everyone returned and court resumed.
Leslie VanGiesen, the mother of Roberta Drury, spoke about remembering her beautiful daughter that she will never see again.
"I think of her alone laying on the pavement, for hours, I've never been able to see her or touch her after that day. I have been profoundly changed," VanGiesen said.
Others like Vyonne Elliott, the brother of Andre Mackniel, said the shooter took his entire life away by murdering his brother. Mackniel was at Tops that day buying a birthday cake for his three-year-old son's birthday.
"It's sad when I've got to ignore my nephew's phone calls to tell him his daddy's not coming," Elliott said.
Outside the courtroom, those who delivered impact statements described what they experienced during sentencing.
Tamika Harper, the niece of Geraldine Talley, said she actually saw the gunman shed tears.
"He actually reacted to my speech, why? I don't know. Is he really remorseful? I don't know. His apology, it didn't sound remorseful to me, it sounded like he just was saying it just to be saying it, maybe to avoid the death penalty," Harper said.
Harper continued on to say she doesn't hate the shooter.
"I thought I hated him, hate is a very strong word, I don't hate him. But I do hope he reaps what he sowed," Harper said.
Gendron addressed the court, offering a brief apology. Saying he was very sorry for the pain he forced on the families and victims, stealing lives of their loved ones.
Wayne Jones, son of Celestine Chaney, said it was very tough to look at his mother's killer. He wore a necklace with her photo.
Zeneta Everhart, the mother of Zaire Goodman who was shot and survived, says she doesn't believe the gunman's words and it won't heal the trauma he caused.
