The Tragic Impact of The Buffalo Massacre

By Chardonnay Beaver

On Saturday, the Buffalo Police Department responded to a shooting at Tops Friendly Market. The shooting resulted in 3 victims hurt and the tragic death of 10 people, according to an NPR report.

Activist Kelly Galloway, in an interview with TheGrio, reveals that this massacre presents further threats to Buffalo’s Black community.

“You hate us that much to come into our only grocery store?… We only have one grocery store in the Black community in Buffalo, New York,” Galloway said.

According to Galloway, this community lives in a food desert. Food deserts are neighborhoods that have minimal or no options to securing affordable and healthy food– like fruits and vegetables.

Not only is this community's safety threatened, due to Saturday’s shooting, but they also have to find other routes to purchase their groceries.

A lack of recognition leads to invisibility. Majority of those killed in this massacre were elders in their community. To honor Buffalo’s Black community, and the families of the 10 victims, below are their names and ages:

Roberta A. Drury of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 32

Margus D. Morrison of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 52

Andre Mackneil of Auburn, N.Y. – age 53

Aaron Salter of Lockport, N.Y. – age 55

Geraldine Talley of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 62

Celestine Chaney of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 65

Heyward Patterson of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 67

Katherine Massey of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 72

Pearl Young of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 77

Ruth Whitfield of Buffalo, N.Y. – age 86