Gendron was the first defendant in New York charged with a domestic act of hate terrorism in the first degree under a state law enacted in 2020.
Prosecutors say the gunman targeted a Topps Friendly Markets supermarket in the black neighborhood of Buffalo, about 200 miles from his home in Conklin, New York, with the intention of killing as many black people as he could with the assault weapon. Apart from the death of 10 people, three others were injured in the accident.
The victims ranged in age from 20 to 86 and included staff, patrons and community advocates. Officials said two of the survivors are white.
In addition to the state charges, Gendron faces 27 federal charges. His attorneys have sought a plea deal on the federal charges in an effort to avoid the possible death penalty. The US Justice Department has not disclosed what sentence it will seek for Gendron if convicted.
The Buffalo attack came just 10 days before another mass shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The latest US mass shooting occurred on Monday when a gunman killed three Michigan State University students and wounded five others before taking his own life.
