Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Tuesday marked the one month anniversary of the mass shooting at the Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue that left 10 Black people dead and three others wounded at the hands of a suspected 18-year-old White supremacist.
Many members of local law enforcement, local government and others from the East Side community gathered at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Landon Street on Tuesday for a memorial service to remember those lost in the May 14 attack, and support the survivors of who were either wounded or affected by the shooting.
"One month ago, the unthinkable happened here in Buffalo, New York, right here at the Tops supermarket on Jefferson Avenue," said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown during his opening remarks. "Many of our friends and neighbors were simply going about their business on a beautiful afternoon when, without warning, they were interrupted by deadly gunfire. An outsider with hate in his heart, indoctrinated in the ways of white supremacy, opened fire and killed 10 precious and innocent people, and injured three others and traumatized many more. Our city will never be the same. It was a moment that changed our community forever.
"Nothing we do, will ever repair the heartache for the families who lost their loved ones, and who continue to feel that pain and loss to this day. But today, one month later, we stand united with them. In the 'City of Good Neighbors,' we are a loving and resilient community, a community that will always remember. We remember, we remember."
Tuesday's memorial lasted more than 45 minutes, and included a number of speakers personally affected by last month's shooting. One of the speakers was Zeneta Everhart, whose son, Zaire, was one of the three that was wounded in the incident.
"What happened on this street, it didn't just affect me and Zaire. It affected our home," said Everhart. "The East Side of Buffalo has always been my community. I've lived here, I was born here, raised here. Zaire was raised here. And I'm sorry this had to happen to us, but I have continuously made promises, and I am going to stand firm and double down on those promises. I will use my platform, I will use my resources, I will use everybody I know to make sure that we not only get through this; We're going to start with healing through this, but we're going to heal the East Side of Buffalo, and there is going to be help there. I promise you that.
"This is the 'City of Good Neighbors'. I knew that before this, and I really, really, really know that now. Me and Zaire, we love you, and we just thank you."
Mark Talley is the son of Geraldine Talley, 62, who was one of the 10 victims of the Tops mass shooting one month ago. He admitted that he's tired of talking about his mother, because he doesn't want her legacy to be associated with this incident.
"I definitely want her legacy to be associated with me. That's why I refuse to constantly mention her name," said Talley. "I just don't want her to be associated with the tears in this incident."
Also in attendance on Tuesday were a number of different elected officials, including New York State Assembly Majority Leader, Crystal Peoples-Stokes.
"People thought they were going to come here and hurt us, kill us, and stop our movement as a people. What you've done is created more advocates. You created more fighters. You created more people who will not have you treating and talking to us any kind of way," said Peoples-Stokes. "If you look around, you will see these other people, the same ones who made it through the Middle Passage. If we made it through the Middle Passage, you think you're gonna send somebody here from Binghamton to stop us? Not gonna happen. We got everything we need while we work through our hurt, to move this community forward, and people who won't move forward with us will be moved out of the way."
During the event, the crowd in attendance took in a moment of silence to honor the 10 lives who were lost during the Tops mass shooting, while Mayor Brown read the names of the victims. In addition, Buffalo Firefighters rang a bell 13 times to honor all the victims who were killed or wounded.
In addition, Mayor Brown publicly announced the names of the four Buffalo Police Officers and four Buffalo Firefighters who were the first to respond to the Tops on Jefferson Avenue after the shooting.
Buffalo Police Officers:
- Officer Ann Devaney
- Officer Christine Ihle
- Officer Anthony D'Agostino
- Lt. Pat McDonald
Meanwhile, the four Buffalo Firefighters from Rescue 1/Engine 21/Ladder 6 - located at Jefferson and Kingsley - include:
- Firefighter Bret Clark
- Firefighter William O'Neil
- Firefighter Patrick Isch
- Firefighter Sean Brennan
Listen back to the entire memorial in the player below: