(CNN) — Payton Gendron, the perpetrator of the Buffalo Tops supermarket shooting that killed 10 people, was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison, without parole.
“You will never see the light of day again as a free man,” Judge Susan Eagan said.
Payton Gendron, a 19-year-old white male, had pleaded guilty to one count of hate-motivated domestic terrorism, 10 counts of first-degree murder, three counts of attempted murder and one count of weapons possession in the mass shooting at Tops Friendly Markets on May 14.
Earlier, Gendron had read the following statement before the court:
“I am very sorry for all the pain I have caused the victims and their families to suffer. I am so sorry I stole the lives of your loved ones. I cannot express how sorry I am for all the decisions I made prior to my actions on May 14. I did a terrible thing that day. I shot and killed people because they were black. Looking back now, I can’t believe I actually did it. I believed what I read online and acted out of hate. I know I can’t take it back, but I wish I could. And I don’t want anyone to be inspired by me and what I did.”
A woman in the audience wailed in pain and screamed after Gendron finished speaking. She left the courtroom. Gendron was seen sobbing through her statement.
“We don’t need any of that m…!” a woman was heard screaming.
During Wednesday’s hearing, several relatives of the victims spoke through tears about how the mass shooting had changed their lives. At one point, Gendron took off his glasses and began to cry.
Payton Gendron was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
During one such victim statement, a man in a gray sweatshirt lunged at Gendron, but security quickly blocked him and dragged Gendron out of the courtroom.
After a short break, Gendron returned to the courtroom and Erie County Judge Susan Eagan restarted the hearing.
“We can’t have these types of situations in the courtroom,” Eagan said. “We must behave appropriately because we are all better than that.”
News in development.
