Conklin Man Willing to Plead Guilty to Federal Charges in Buffalo

The attorney for a Broome County resident who killed ten Black people at a Buffalo supermarket said her client his prepared to plead guilty to federal charges in exchange for a life sentence.

Payton Gendron of Conklin was arrested at the Tops market after he opened fire on shoppers in the store on May 14. He was 18 years old at the time of the mass shooting.

Gendron last month pleaded guilty to state murder and domestic terrorism charges.

According to ABC News, defense attorney Sonya Zoghlin said on Friday that Gendron "is prepared to enter a plea of guilty in federal court in exchange for a life sentence."

Gendron is facing federal charges that include hate crime resulting in death, hate crime resulting in bodily injury and use of a firearm to commit murder. He did not appear in court for Friday's hearing in Buffalo.

The federal government has not decided whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty in the case, which was adjourned until March 10.

Investigators have said Gendron drove from his family's Conklin residence to Buffalo with the intention of killing as many Black people as possible.

Gendron, who was 18 at time, bought the semi-automatic Bushmaster XM-15 used in the shooting from Vintage Firearms on Nanticoke Avenue in Endicott about two months earlier. Authorities have said the gun was legally purchased.

Gendron was allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies at Susquehanna Valley High School in Conklin in 2021 despite a disturbing statement he had made in a virtual class. The matter was investigated by New York State Police who determined he didn't pose a threat to other people.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.