By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Attorneys for Payton Gendron, the gunman in the Buffalo supermarket shooting, are seeking to have the federal charges against him dismissed, citing a lack of representation of Black and Hispanic individuals on the grand jury that indicted him. They claim the jury selection process was flawed, leading to underrepresentation of these groups. Prosecutors, however, argue these claims are unfounded, stating that any disparities were within acceptable guidelines. The court is set to hear arguments on the defense’s motion, which alleges a violation of Gendron’s rights.
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Supermarket gunman who targeted Black people wants charges dropped, says grand jury was too white. It’s almost too absurd to believe, isn’t it? You’d think this was a headline ripped straight from The Onion. But here we are, grappling with the reality that a white supremacist, the very person who meticulously planned a mass shooting targeting Black people, is now arguing that the grand jury that indicted him was somehow *too white*. The audacity of it all is just astounding.
This whole thing stinks of a desperate attempt to find any technicality, any loophole, to wiggle out of the consequences of his heinous actions. The fact that his lawyer is grasping at straws like this is hardly surprising. It’s a lawyer’s job to defend their client, even when the client is utterly reprehensible. But let’s be clear: this is a “Hail Mary” play of epic proportions. The idea that a jury’s racial makeup somehow invalidates the charges against a person who committed a racially motivated mass murder is truly mind-boggling.
The lawyer’s argument feels particularly slimy when you consider the context. It’s not just about the actions themselves, but the calculated nature of the crime. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment act of violence. This was a premeditated attack, meticulously planned and executed with the express intent of harming Black people. The gunman knew what he was doing, he knew the implications, and he embraced it. To claim some kind of innocence or diminished capacity based on his age – the “brain is still developing” defense – feels like a profound insult to the victims and their families.
There is a lot of conversation around the sentencing and the possibility of a lesser sentence. The argument is being made that at the age of 18, the shooter’s brain is still developing. However, the idea that the shooter should receive leniency for committing such a horrific crime, especially when it was carried out with such malicious intent, is simply infuriating. It’s like saying that because he was young, he couldn’t have possibly understood the gravity of his actions. This is completely untrue, particularly when the shooter planned the event and went into a supermarket with an assault weapon with body armor.
The video is visceral, and it’s hard to watch. The families in the court bursted out, and for good reason. The shooter was laughing and having the best day of his life while killing people. The families know the truth. He doesn’t feel bad, and he doesn’t care. The shooter’s behavior is repulsive.
So, what’s the point of this entire legal maneuver? Well, it’s likely an attempt to get the indictment tossed out on a technicality. If successful, it would be a pyrrhic victory. The prosecutors would just present the case to a new grand jury, and they would be highly likely to indict on the same charges. This is nothing more than a desperate gamble, a last-ditch effort to avoid the consequences of his actions.
It raises the question of what the shooter truly believes. The idea of wanting diversity *now* is ironic, when he acted in a manner that was completely divisive. It’s hard to fathom. It’s a move that is simply disrespectful to the victims, their families, and the entire justice system. The lawyer is just doing his job, but it’s hard to watch.
It is not news to be reporting on the ramblings of the mentally sick. It also seems unlikely that he will get a lighter sentence than he deserves. He is already doing life on state charges.