The son of one of the victims who lost their lives on May 14, 2022, at the Tops Market on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo appears before the United States Senate to discuss the aftermath of the mass shooting that occurred in Buffalo's Kingsley Neighborhood.

Garnell Whitfield Jr., who served Buffalo as its fire commissioner for many years, is the son of 86-year-old Ruth Whitfield. Ms. Whitfield was one of the 10 people who were killed by an alleged white supremacist in a racist-fueled shooting spree that rocked Buffalo and the nation.

Get our free mobile app

The alleged shooter has been arrested and charged with at least 25 charges and is currently awaiting trial.

Since the shooting, the families of the victims are left to pick up the pieces and attempt to move on with the rest of their lives. As Buffalo begins to heal, there have been some actions by elected officials on the local and state level to try and prevent something like this from happening again.

The United States House of Representatives and Senate have also been debating what can be done in the country to make us safer from mass shootings and the threat of domestic terrorism.

Mr. Whitfield was invited to speak to the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 7, 2022, while the committee was holding a hearing on domestic terrorism in the United States and he gave an impassioned speech urging our national government to do something about the cancer of white supremacy that runs in our country.

Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires? If there is nothing then, respectfully, senators … you should yield your positions of authority and influence to others that are willing to lead on this issue.
-Garnell Whitfield

You can watch Mr. Whitfields speech here:

10 People Dead, Mass Shooting At Tops On Jefferson In Buffalo

Gallery Credit: Yasmin Young

These 5 Counties Have The Highest Property Crime Rate In New York

Gallery Credit: Ed Nice

The 10 Most Dangerous and Violent Cities in New York State [List]

Gallery Credit: Yasmin Young

More From The New 96.1 WTSS