The Church Council of Greater Seattle adds our voice in condemning the racist, hate-filled act of terror by a white supremacist shooter at a Buffalo, NY supermarket that ended with the murders of 10 people, with three more people shot who survived.
This attack was well-planned and openly, maliciously targeted the Black community in Buffalo. 11 of the 13 beloved individuals shot were Black. The shooter made clear distinctions in the course of his crimes, actively avoiding white shoppers in this act of hate.
We share our deep sorrow with the families, friends and loved ones of those whose lives were lost and threatened. We offer our love and solidarity with the people of Buffalo. The names of those murdered and those injured are below (via NPR)
The 10 people who were killed:
Roberta A. Drury of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 32
Margus D. Morrison of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 52
Andre Mackneil of Auburn, N.Y. – age 53
Aaron Salter of Lockport, N.Y. – age 55
Geraldine Talley of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 62
Celestine Chaney of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 65
Heyward Patterson of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 67
Katherine Massey of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 72
Pearl Young of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 77
Ruth Whitfield of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 86
Three people suffered injuries that have been deemed non-life threatening. Two of them are no longer in the hospital:
Zaire Goodman of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 20 (treated and released from ECMC)
Jennifer Warrington of Tonawanda, N.Y. – age 50 (treated and released from ECMC)
Christopher Braden of Lackawanna, N.Y. – age 55
This horrific assault on Black life is just one moment in the expansive legacy of anti-Black violence perpetrated by white supremacists in the US since it’s conception as a country. Racism is real, present, dangerous, and causing harm each and every day to us all. The mainstreaming of white supremacy in America manifest all-too-frequently in the taking of Black life.
God weeps tears of rage for the families torn apart by this recent act of white supremacist terror, and by all racist massacres since our country’s conception. God roars at injustice and every attack on Black life. God breathes peace with justice into our minds, hearts, souls and bodies so that we can restore and repair, plant and reap, love and accompany one another for such a time as this.
May our love be unbound by borders and walls, reaching the spirits of our siblings in Buffalo, El Paso, Pittsburgh, Charleston, and all who suffer and grieve from racist mass shootings in the United States and beyond.
May we act with conviction, compassion, and tenacity as we dismantle ideologies of white supremacy and the racist systems built on their foundations.
In faith, hope, and love we pray by what we say and abundantly so in what we do.