Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Families of those who died in the 5/14 shootings and survivors of the mass shooting at a Tops Market in Buffalo are seeking more than just money from social media companies and gun manufacturers in their civil lawsuit. They want changes in how the companies do business.
Kimberly Salter, whose husband, Aaron Salter, was the store's security guard, said at a news conference Wednesday that “These are human beings’ lives that were taken by a murderer.”
Aaron Salter, a retired police officer, was fatally shot after a bullet he fired struck Gendron but was deflected by body armor, authorities said.
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Zeneta Everhart's son Zaire Goodman survived the shooting, but will live with that day everyday for the rest of his life. "Zaire has pieces of those bullets in his body, and they will be there forever. They're all around his lungs, all around all of his major arteries in his body, so therefore it can't be removed ever," notes Everhart. She says social media and gun makers must be held accountable. "That day while tragic, and just disgusting, what was more disgusting, was that people were tagging me ... on social media. We did not want to see that. No one should be looking at that. It wasn't a movie. It wasn't pretend, it was real. Those are 10 real humans that were stolen from us," adds Everhart.
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Mark Talley's mother Geraldine died in the shooting. "Do I consider this day justice? Not yet. But it's definitely an important day," says Talley. He says it will depend on when justice comes. "Justice for me will be when you can't go on Facebook, Reddit, Twitch, any social media website, any internet website and document how much you hate African-Americans or other minorities. Justice will be when police members in your own community don't make jokes about there's a cleanup on aisle 9, 10, 11 and 13 in Tops immediately after the massacre. Justice is when if I go on Facebook, and you go into all of these groups based on the city that you live in, the suburb you live, and justice will be when you don't see people making jokes," says Talley. He says justice will happen when gun control happens, but he has concerns. "Judging by America's history, not even past history, we can go literally within the past five years. When you got people on the Congress afraid to say racism is wrong," notes Talley.
Pamela Pritchett also lost her mother, Pearl Young, that Saturday afternoon. "I believe that in the midst of all of this there is no way that hate can ever supersede love But it is my duty to call out things when it's true.," says Pritchett. "White supremacy killed my mother. It took my mother, one who loved white supremacy, hatred. Racism took my mother. I have sons who, unfortunately, and nephews who unfortunately, saw it on social media, this is their grandmother." Pritchett says it's her job to make sure that those who were a part of it are held accountable.
The shooter pleaded guilty to state charges. His federal case is pending.
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