The man accused of the racist shooting at a Buffalo supermarket that left 10 Black residents dead was charged with a 25-count indictment, including murder charges as hate crimes and domestic terrorism, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Payton Gendron was scheduled to appear in an Erie County court on Thursday afternoon, the newspaper reported, citing the county's district attorney, John Flynn.
A district attorney's office spokeswoman confirmed to Reuters that an indictment had been handed down against Gendron and said he would be making a court appearance on Thursday. The spokeswoman, who did not give her name, declined to comment on specific charges.
The Times reported that the indictment charges Gendron with first- and second-degree murder as hate crimes and three counts of attempted murder, along with other charges.
Prosecutors say Gendron was targeting Black people when he shot 13 people at a Tops Friendly Market store with a semi-automatic, assault-style rifle.
Authorities said the gunman broadcast video of the attack to a social media platform in real time. He is accused of posting white supremacist material online.
The deadly rampage marked the latest in a series of mass shootings across the United States, many of them carried out by young men using semi-automatic, assault-style weapons.
On May 24 an 18-year-old man opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 students and two teachers.
The shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde have re-ignited a fierce debate between advocates of tighter gun controls and those who oppose any legislation that could compromise the U.S. Constitutional right of Americans to bear arms.
U.S. President Joe Biden, has joined fellow Democrats in calling for new gun restrictions, such as a ban on assault-style weapons and universal background checks for firearms purchases.
