US witnesses 2 shootings in 48 hours, concerns over gun violence again

The United States witnessed two mass shootings within 48 hours, one of which was confirmed as racially motivated. In the Buffalo supermarket shooting, the gunman, identified as a white 18-year-old man, killed 10 and wounded three, most of them Black.

He even live-streamed the shooting to a small audience on Twitch. On Sunday, a gunman went on a rampage at a church near Los Angeles, killing one and leaving four others in “critical” condition, as per the officials. Police said that the churchgoers detained the shooter and “hogtied his legs with an extension cord and confiscated at least two weapons” before officers arrived to apprehend him.

Here’s what we know so far about the two shootings:

The suspected gunman in the Buffalo shooting has been identified as Payton Gendron, of Conklin, New York. A document circulated widely online seemingly outlines the gunman’s racist, anti-immigrant and antisemitic beliefs. It suggests that Gendron wanted to drive all people not of European descent from the US.

In portions of the video circulating online, the gunman, at one point, aimed his weapon at a white person but says “Sorry!” and doesn’t shoot.

According to reports, Gendron, as a 17-year-old, had threatened to carry out a shooting at Susquehanna Valley High School around the time of graduation last year. He was sent for mental health treatment and was out of the hospital within a day and a half.

In the California church shooting, the suspected gunman was believed to be an Asian adult male in his 60s and the victims were mostly Asian and mostly of Taiwanese descent. Investigators were still searching for a motive, Orange County Undersheriff Jeff Hallock told a press conference.

Officials were still sorting through the timeline and details with the witnesses who were inside the building. With the investigation still in its early stages, police said the many unanswered questions include whether the assailant was known to church members and how many shots were fired.