Source: John Normile / Getty
As the debate regarding mass shootings and gun control gains steam in the wake of the Buffalo shooting tragedy, details are now coming forth regarding the accused’s actions. A gun shop owner who says he sold the Bushmaster XM-15 reportedly used in the brazen supermarket attack to Payton Gendron shared that a background check on the teen came back without any alarming notices.
The New York Times reported that Robert Donald, the owner of Vintage Firearms in Endicott, N.Y., which sold the firearm to Gendron, expressed remorse after noting that the teen passed his background check with flying colors.
“I just can’t believe it. I don’t understand why an 18-year-old would even do this,” Donald said to the outlet on Sunday (May 15). “I know I didn’t do anything wrong, but I feel terrible about it.”
Donald said that nothing about Gendron’s appearance gave him cause for alarm and added that in his nearly three decades in business, he’s only sold around a half dozen assault weapons per year.
Gendron pleaded not guilty to the deadly shooting at the Tops supermarket. It was later revealed via a manifesto that Gendron’s motives appear to be fueled by racist ideologies and made himself clear in stating that he identifies as racist within the Q&A style of the manifesto. Using the streaming network Twitch, Gendron shared a video of the shooting as it happened before it was scrubbed from the service.
At the moment, Gendron is currently behind bars without bail as he awaits a trial in the matter.
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Photo: Getty
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