BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBKW) — In the 365 days since tragedy struck at Tops on Jefferson Avenue, there's been an outpouring of love and support in East Buffalo, including on Sunday to mark one year.
"I’ve never seen this much love," said Lamar Haslam, whose cousin Heyward Patterson was killed in the mass shooting. "I’ve never seen this much love from every race."
"He only got caught in this helping somebody," explained Haslam about Patterson. "He left doing what he liked to do, that’s who he was."
In the days after May 14, 2022, businesses and community members came to East Buffalo to donate food, clothing, and essentials. That continued this weekend, with volunteers handing out snacks, water bottles, meals, and even Mother's Day flowers around Tops.
"We don’t need an anniversary to do stuff together, we need this all the time," said Haslam.
Tops was closed on Sunday for a special ceremony. The store was remodeled in the weeks after the massacre. Many people like Mary Adams, who has shopped there regularly for years, are happy to see it open. She feels East Buffalo is on the rise.
"A lot of people are coming back," explained Adams.
However many feel nothing outside of Tops has changed in East Buffalo.
"It's clear that nothing has really changed, it's going really same," said Jerry of East Buffalo.
After Sunday's ceremony 7 News asked New York Governor Kathy Hochul about the future of investment in East Buffalo.
"We have so much to do," said Hochul. "We just announced $50 million in small businesses, helping homeowners, first-time home buyers, repairing houses, helping people behind in their rent. We’re just getting started, and we’re also going to do a billion dollars to straighten out Kensington Expressway. It broke the heart of this community when it was built, we’re going to put the heart back together."
