Buffalo Supermarket: Racially Motivated Hate Crime Claims Ten Lives, Issues and Resources

Let us first pause to honor the senseless loss of life in Buffalo, New York and all effected by this horrendous act of violence.

We hold them in prayer along with their families, as well as those injured today.  

We thank God for the courageous response of law enforcement and all first responders who prevented additional loss of life, and ask for healing for all influenced by this heartbreaking tragedy.

Buffalo police identified the victims as follows:

     • Roberta A. Drury, 32, of Buffalo

     • Margus D. Morrison, 52, of Buffalo 

     • Andre Mackneil, 53, of Auburn, New York

     • Aaron Salter, 55, of Lockport, New York

     • Geraldine Talley, 62, of Buffalo

     • Celestine Chaney, 65, of Buffalo

     • Heyward Patterson, 67, of Buffalo

     • Katherine Massey, 72, of Buffalo

     • Pearl Young, 77, of Buffalo

     • Ruth Whitfield, 86, of Buffalo

     • Zaire Goodman, 20, of Buffalo, was treated and released from hospital

     • Jennifer Warrington, 50, of Tonawanda, New York, was treated and released from hospital

     • Christopher Braden, 55, of Lackawanna, New York, had non-life threatening injuries

Racially Motivated Hate Crime

Law enforcement authorities have stated that the shooting in Buffalo, New York that claimed ten lives is a racially motivated hate crime.

In light of this tragedy, noted below are some resources with connecting links from some of my published works, and from official government sites. 

These are shared to assist with understanding the issue and responding as necessary to protect American communities.

FBI Hate Crimes / FBI Website    

Excerpt: Defining a Hate Crime

“A hate crime is a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias. For the purposes of collecting statistics, the FBI has defined a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.” Hate itself is not a crime—and the FBI is mindful of protecting freedom of speech and other civil liberties.”

America's Warning: Hatred Fully Transparent in Charlottesville

Excerpt:

Months before the violence was unleashed on Aug. 12 in Charlottesville, Virginia, resulting in the tragic loss of innocent life and senseless injuries, members of the intelligence community gave warning to an emerging threat.

In a Joint Intelligence Bulletin (JIB) dated May 10, 2017, the JIB provided “insight into the targeting preferences of white supremacist extremists and the state of white supremacist extremism in the United States.”

America's Mass Shooter Crisis Demands Police-Community Unity

Excerpt:

"Let us have it seared into our souls that America must build bridges between the police and community.  Only this unity will serve as the antidote to the venom of violence that has infected communities throughout the nation."

Mass Shootings, Police Fatalities: America’s Culture of Trauma

Excerpt:

"Violence has been unleashed in America, as video allows us to witness horrific mass shooting incidents and reprehensible killings of law enforcement officials.

"The pervasiveness of violence has no end in sight and every community, citizen, and police officer is a potential victim.

"The antidote to this culture of trauma is police-community unity, indispensable to the security of our society.

"Citizens and law enforcement must unite and turn the tide of this culture of trauma. America’s healing will only be possible with ethical leadership, unwavering collaboration, and moral courage. We must vigilantly work together for the common good."

Quick Look: 277 Active Shooter Incidents in the United States From 2000 to 2018

The FBI Encourages the Public to Report Hate Crimes

Excerpt:

"The FBI is engaged in a nationwide effort to build public awareness of hate crimes and encourage reporting to law enforcement.

"Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI’s civil rights program because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities. Hate crimes are not only an attack on the victim—they are meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community."

America’s Active Shooter Tragedies: Protecting Our Schools

Excerpt

"During my presentation, I took the approach of prevention. My focus included the importance of effectively responding to warning signs, security vulnerability assessments as more comprehensive than surveys, school resource officers, police-community partnerships, situational awareness, student empowerment, academic excellence, teacher and staff training, and the preventive pedagogy of education. 

"This pedagogy is critical for American schools as it enhances trust, builds bridges with all members of the school community, and fosters a vigilant, active, and respected presence by staff in the school community."

Protecting America’s Houses of Worship, Schools, Facilities: A National Model

Excerpt

"A robust security program must be comprehensive, proactive, and continually updated. Security must never be piecemeal, negligent, or have its importance minimized.

"Approaches to security in houses of worship, as well as in workplaces, schools, campuses, and facilities, must include the insights within the link noted above."

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove, CPP, is a national speaker and author on issues critical to America with over 300 published works. 

His most recent books are Reawakening America and Listen To Their Cries. 

Bove is recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award and former confident of the New York Yankees.  He is co-founder of Global Security Resolutions, and served as spokesperson for a coalition of Virginia Tech tragedy families of victims.  Bove has authored 17 cover stories for The Chief of Police.

For twenty years, he has been a Board Certified Protection Professional (CPP), Board Certified Crime Prevention Specialist, Certified Police Training Commission Instructor, Crime Prevention Practitioner, and USDOJ Certified Community Anti-Terrorism Instructor Trainer.  

Bove is also a licensed State of New Jersey / Division of State Police SORA Instructor.

Photos:

1. Cover story by Vincent J. Bove, The Chief of Police, Fall 2017, Vol. XXXII, No. 3.

2. Vincent J. Bove Reawakening America Book and pics of his presentation, PHAMA event, Champion, PA, Oct. 20, 2017. (Photo Credit: Lily Bove)

Note Well:

Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove, Reawakening America LLC

twitter: vincentjbove

Facebook: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing