Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Federal prosecutors met with families of the victims and survivors of the Tops mass shooting on Friday, prior to a scheduled status conference, to inform them of their motion to pursue the death penalty for the gunman in the racially motivated attack that killed 10 Black people and injured three others.
Mark Talley, son of victim Geraldine Talley, says he understood the decision to pursue the death penalty, but he would have rather the shooter spend the rest of his life in prison.
"It would have satisfied me more if he would have spent the rest of his life in prison being surrounded by the population of people he tried to kill," Talley told reporters on Friday.
Talley mentions he has regular dreams of his late mother where he is crying in his dreams. He relives that tragic day of 5/14/2022 often. He feels like the shooter, Payton Gendron, now 20-years-old, is being "let off the hook with the death penalty."
"I'm pretty sure there's a lot of people that are going to be happy that he's finally dying after committing those hatred acts that he did in which he did does deserve to die, but like I said, for me, I want something worse than that."
Talley said that there was some mixed reaction upon hearing the news from families, some people were glad that this is being pursued, others were not and while some were indifferent.
However, the consensus appeared to be that most were not in favor of pursuing the death penalty, including Michelle Fryson, niece of Pearl Young and cousin of Margus Morrison, who both lost their lives at the Tops shooting that day.
"To me, it was a gut blow. I wasn't expecting that. Never did I ever wish that he would have the death penalty. Conversely, I was hoping that he would be able to take some time to process things for a very long time. It almost seems that there there never will be a resolve."
Zeneta Everhart, mother of Tops shooting survivor Zaire Goodman and Buffalo Common Councilwoman says she is satisfied with the choice of the U.S. Attorney General despite her opinion of the death penalty.
"I've said from the beginning that the death penalty isn't something that I wish on anyone. That's my personal feelings. But I've also said that if the U.S. Attorney General decided to go that route, for the death penalty, then so be it. For me, I believe in the greater good of that there should be a trial, the country should see what happened that day, they should know what led up to that. Right? They should hear all about the manifesto and the guns that are used and modified, and the country has to hear that, so I'm satisfied."
Frederick Morrison, brother of victim Margus Morrison, says all the families were upset this morning, regardless of the decision in the end whether to pursue the death penalty of not. He says he will continue to be at the proceedings going forward for his brother.
