The victims of what authorities are calling a racially fueled massacre at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket over the weekend have been identified and their ages range from 32 to 86.
Among the victims in Saturday’s mass shooting was a former police officer, and 11 of the 13 killed or injured were Black.
The names of the 10 who died are:
Celestine Chaney, 65
Roberta Drury, 32
Andre Mackneil, 53
Katherine Massey, 72
Margus Morrison, 52
Heyward Patterson, 67
Aaron Salter, 55
Geraldine Talley, 62
Ruth Whitfield, 86
Pearl Young, 77
The accused gunman, 18-year-old avowed white supremacist Payton Gendron, allegedly put together a 180-page manifesto that revealed his hatred for Black and Jewish people and the “replacement theory” ideology that Fox News hosts often speak of, notably Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham.
Several Republican politicians have spouted the racist “theory,” saying that Democrats’ immigration policies would “replace” GOP voters with individuals of color.
New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik and Ohio GOP Senate hopeful J.D. Vance recently have been outspoken in supporting “replacement theory.”
Stefanik used the concept in her 2021 campaign ads, claiming that “radical Democrats are planning their most aggressive move yet: a permanent election insurrection.”
Vance, a Donald Trump-endorsed candidate, recently ratcheted up the rhetoric.
“You’re talking about a shift in the democratic makeup of this country that would mean we never win, meaning Republicans would never win a national election in this country ever again,” he claimed at a campaign event last month.
Vance’s defeated opponent, Josh Mandel, also ran on “replacement theory.”
“This is about changing the face of America, figuratively and literally,” Mandel stated in a published interview.
“They are trying to change our culture, change our demographics and change our electorate. This is all about power,” he said.
So far, the only Republican politician of note to call out the racist rhetoric is Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney.
“The House GOP leadership has enabled white nationalism, white supremacy, and anti-semitism,” Cheney tweeted. “History has taught us that what begins with words ends in far worse. @GOP leaders must renounce and reject these views and those who hold them.”
