The Buffalo Shooter Isn’t a ‘Lone Wolf.’ He’s a Mainstream Republican
Rolling StoneMay 15, 2022
19-year-old gunman Payton Gendron, who pleaded guilty to killing 10 Black people in a racially motivated shooting in May 2022, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole during a court hearing on Wednesday.
Gendron’s sentencing was briefly interrupted when an unidentified man rushed toward him before being restrained by courtroom officers. Erie County District Attorney John Flynn instructed court officers not to press charges against the man.
Payton Gendron’s brutal and vile attack that killed 10 people is the direct result of the racist and xenophobic rhetoric espoused by right-wing talking heads. In the years since Donald Trump’s presidency, we’ve seen growing incidents of white supremacist attacks motivated by conspiracy theories peddled by prominent far-right figures.
During a time of national tragedy, Democrats and others in the liberal media are trying to pin the tragedy on their political opponents. Not only is it vile to exploit a national tragedy like this, but it is also factually incorrect, as the shooter’s manifesto rejected conservatism and its ideas.