A federal judge has ruled that Payton Gendron, the suspect in the 2022 Buffalo Tops supermarket shooting, will face his federal death penalty trial in Buffalo.
Prosecutors said keeping the trial in Buffalo allows victims’ families to attend, while Gendron’s defense had requested a move to Rochester, which the judge denied.
The racially motivated attack killed 10 people and injured three others, including Auburn resident Andre Mackniel, who was buying a birthday cake for his three-year-old son.
Gendron has already pleaded guilty to state charges and was sentenced in June 2023 to life without parole. In November, he also pled guilty to federal counts including terrorism motivated by hate, 10 counts of murder, and three counts of attempted murder.
Jury selection for the federal case is scheduled to begin August 17.
