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White supremacist gets life in prison for Buffalo massacre

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Payton Gendron listens as he is sentenced on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023 in Buffalo, N.Y. Gendron, a white supremacist who killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket was sentenced to life in prison after listening to relatives of his victims express the pain and rage caused by his racist attack. (AP Photo/Pool)
Payton Gendron listens as he is sentenced on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023 in Buffalo, N.Y. Gendron, a white supremacist who killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket was sentenced to life in prison after listening to relatives of his victims express the pain and rage caused by his racist attack. (AP Photo/Pool)

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A white supremacist who killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket was sentenced to life in prison without parole Wednesday after relatives of his victims confronted him with the pain and rage caused by his racist attack.

Anger briefly turned physical at Payton Gendron’s sentencing when a man in the audience rushed at him. The man was quickly restrained; prosecutors later said he wouldn’t be charged. The proceeding resumed after about 10 minutes, with more emotional outpouring from people who lost loved ones or were themselves wounded in the attack.

Gendron, whose hatred was fueled by racist conspiracy theories he encountered online, cried during some of the testimony and apologized to victims and their families in a brief statement.

Some angrily condemned him; others quoted from the Bible or said they were praying for him. Several pointed out that he deliberately attacked a Black community far from his nearly all-white hometown.

“You’ve been brainwashed,” Wayne Jones Sr., the only child of victim Celestine Chaney, said as sobs rose from the audience. “You don’t even know Black people that much to hate them. You learned this on the internet, and it was a big mistake.”

“I hope you find it in your heart to apologize to these people, man. You did wrong for no reason,” Jones said.

Gendron pleaded guilty in November to crimes including murder and domestic terrorism motivated by hate, a charge that carried an automatic life sentence.

“There can be no mercy for you, no understanding, no second chances,” Judge Susan Eagan said as she sentenced him.

Gendron, 19, also faces separate federal charges that could carry a death sentence if the U.S. Justice Department chooses to seek it. His defense attorney said in December that Gendron is prepared to plead guilty in federal court as well to avoid execution. New York state does not have the death penalty.

Gendron wore bullet-resistant armor and a helmet equipped with a livestreaming camera as he carried out the May 14 attack with a semiautomatic rifle he purchased legally but then modified so he could load it with illegal high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Tamika Harper, a niece of victim Geraldine Talley, said she hoped Gendron would pray for forgiveness.

“Do I hate you? No. Do I want you to die? No. I want you to stay alive. I want you to think about this every day of your life,” she said, speaking gently. “Think about my family and the other nine families that you’ve destroyed forever.”

Gendron locked eyes with Harper as she spoke, then lowered his head and cried.

Kimberly Salter, the widow of security guard Aaron Salter, explained that she and her family were wearing “red for the blood that he shed for his family and for his community, and black because we are still grieving.”

Christopher Braden, a Tops Friendly Market employee who was shot in the leg, said he was haunted by seeing the victims where they lay as he was carried out of the store.

“The visions haunt me in my sleep and every day,” he said.

Barbara Massey Mapps excoriated him for killing her 72-year-old sister, Katherine Massey. As Mapps shouted and pointed at Gendron, a person in the audience took a few steps toward him before getting held back.

“You don’t know what we’re going through,” a man shouted as he was led away by court officers. For several minutes thereafter, family members hugged and calmed each other.

Eagan then ordered Gendron back in and let the proceeding resume after admonishing everyone to “conduct ourselves appropriately.”

In his short statement, Gendron acknowledged he “shot and killed people because they were Black.”

“I believed what I read online and acted out of hate, and now I can’t take it back, but I wish I could, and I don’t want anyone to be inspired by me,” he said as a woman in the courtroom audience stood up, screamed that “we don’t need” his remarks and stormed out.

There were only three survivors among the 13 people he shot while specifically seeking out Black shoppers and workers.

His victims at the Tops market included a church deacon, the grocery store’s guard, a neighborhood activist, a man shopping for a birthday cake, a grandmother of nine and the mother of a former Buffalo fire commissioner. The victims ranged in age from 32 to 86.

In documents posted online, Gendron said he hoped the attack would help preserve white power in the U.S. He wrote that he picked the Tops grocery store, about a three-hour drive from his home in Conklin, New York, because it was in a predominantly Black neighborhood.

The mass shooting in Buffalo, and another less than two weeks later that killed 19 students and two teachers at a Texas elementary school, amplified calls for stronger gun controls, including from victims’ relatives who traveled to Washington, D.C. to testify before lawmakers.

New York legislators quickly passed a law banning semiautomatic rifle sales to most people under age 21. The state also banned sales of some types of body armor.

President Joe Biden signed a compromise gun violence bill in June intended to toughen background checks, keep firearms from more domestic violence offenders and help states put in place red flag laws making it easier for authorities to take weapons from people adjudged to be dangerous.

Crimes and Courts

Attorney General Uthmeier: Central Florida Woman Charged in Child Sexual Abuse Material Case

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the Office of Statewide Prosecution has charged a Central Florida woman with multiple felony offenses involving the sexual abuse of a child and the creation and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Taylor Michelle Dorsey, 33, of Ocoee, faces eight felony counts, including sexual abuse of a child over the age of 12 and several charges related to the production, possession, and promotion of CSAM.

“The details in this case are gut-wrenching, and there is zero place for this kind of vile behavior in Florida,” said Attorney General Uthmeier. “I am confident in our statewide prosecutors’ ability to fight for the maximum penalty that fits these heinous crimes against children.”

Investigation and Arrest

The investigation was conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) following a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip originated from Yahoo, which reported that Dorsey had uploaded multiple files containing child sexual abuse material.

According to investigators, Dorsey sexually abused the victim, produced the illegal material, and actively shared it with an inmate in federal prison who is serving time for sexual abuse of a child and possession of child pornography.

On Dec. 10, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Dorsey’s residence, where she was arrested without incident.

Charges Filed

Dorsey is charged with the following offenses:

  • Promote Sexual Performance of a Child

  • Lewd and Lascivious Molestation

  • Child Abuse

  • Child Neglect

  • Possession of Child Pornography (four counts)

She is currently being held in the Orange County Jail without bond.

Prosecution and Ongoing Case

The case will be prosecuted in the Ninth Judicial Circuit by Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Lauryn Day. Officials stated the investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be filed as evidence continues to be reviewed.

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Crimes and Courts

Attorney Ben Crump Announces Settlement Between Universal and Family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala

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ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — The family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala and Universal have reached a confidential resolution, according to a statement released by nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump.

Crump, speaking on behalf of the Rodriguez Zavala family, confirmed that the matter has been resolved amicably. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“The family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala and Universal have reached an amicable resolution in this matter. The terms are confidential,” Crump said. “The family is grateful for the community’s support and asks for privacy at this time.”

No further details were provided.

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Crimes and Courts

Ex-FBI Employee Claims Dismissal for LGBTQ+ Flag Violated Constitutional Rights

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WASHINGTON (FNN) — A longtime FBI employee who was nearing completion of special agent training was dismissed last month for displaying a Pride flag at his workspace, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday.

David Maltinsky, who worked for the FBI for 16 years, had completed 16 of 19 weeks of agent training at Quantico when he said he was handed a termination letter from FBI Director Kash Patel and told he was being dismissed for the “inappropriate display of political signage.” The suit asserts that the flag, previously flown outside the Los Angeles field office during Pride Month in 2021, was displayed inside with prior approval from supervisors.

Background and Training Dismissal

Maltinsky previously served as an intelligence specialist in the Los Angeles field office and was pursuing a long-held goal of becoming a special agent. The Progress Pride flag — which includes rainbow stripes and additional colors to represent LGBTQ+ individuals and communities of color — had been gifted to him after being taken down from its official display at the field office.

The lawsuit states that Maltinsky was a supporter of diversity efforts within the bureau. These efforts were halted under a January executive order from President Donald Trump that eliminated federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Legal Claims and Government Response

The suit names Patel, the FBI, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the Justice Department as defendants. It seeks Maltinsky’s reinstatement, a declaration that his dismissal violated First Amendment rights to free speech and Fifth Amendment guarantees of equal protection.

The FBI and Justice Department declined to comment on pending litigation.

Maltinsky’s attorney, Christopher M. Mattei, called the firing unconstitutional, saying, “This case is about far more than one man’s career — it’s about whether the government can punish Americans simply for saying who they are.”

Broader Personnel Disputes at the Bureau

The filing comes amid other lawsuits brought by FBI officials alleging improper personnel actions taken in President Trump’s second term. In September, three former senior FBI officials claimed they were dismissed as part of a “campaign of retribution” allegedly driven by political pressure.

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