Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan sentenced Payton Gendron, the white gunman who killed 10 Black people and injured three others in a racist attack in Buffalo on May 14, to life in prison without parole Wednesday.
In her sentencing statement, Eagan outlined the history of white supremacy and racism in the United States.
Listen to Eagan's full sentencing remarks at the link above, or read the transcript below.
Judge Eagan: "I would like to thank you all for being here. And thank those of you who have shared your thoughts and feelings with the courts, either in writing or in open court here today. It is very meaningful to me, and I believe that it is important for the defendant and the world to hear what you have to say. I am very sorry for your losses and the pain that you feel.
"I would like to recognize the heroic officers of the Buffalo Police Department who without hesitation, ran towards the danger of an active shooter call, swiftly and professionally stopping and containing the defendant and putting an end to his evil rampage. Thank you.
"I spent a lot of time thinking about this case, our community, our nation, how we got here, and where we go from here. It all comes down to character and having the strength to stand up for what is right. Our character is not defined by the good and easy times, it is defined by the hard and challenging times. And often, our character is revealed not necessarily by what we say, but by what we do. I am both immensely proud of and grateful for the way Buffalo has rejected the evil and hate that was inflicted on our community. The character of good people throughout the city, county, state, nation, and even internationally, has shown through as they have stood with the victims of this heinous and cruel act.
"This indictment speaks to the 13 victims and their families that lost the most, but they are not the only victims. There are thousands that have been traumatized directly and vicariously by this defendant’s actions. We have seen the community turnout in support and are seeing signs of much needed change in East Buffalo. It is a testament to the power of love and compassion to overcome evil and hate by turning pain into purpose. But it is just the beginning. We have a long way to go.
"This hateful act and other similar hateful acts across the country motivated by white supremacy and replacement theory are a reckoning for us as a nation. The ugly truth is that our nation was founded and built in part on white supremacy, starting with the treatment of Native Americans by the first European settlers. To the cruel, inhumane economic engine, nation building practice of slavery. To indentured servitude. To Jim Crow laws. To government policies, creating segregated public housing with communities of color often placed in environmentally hazardous locations. To the manner in which expressways were built, dividing urban neighborhoods to create easy access to government subsidized developments in the suburbs, with restricted covenants prohibiting the sale of suburban homes to African Americans. To redlining practices in communities of color, further devaluing those neighborhoods. To the GI Bill, a well-deserved financial boon to our servicemen. Unless of course, you were a serviceman of color. To the war on drugs and mass incarceration, disproportionately of men of color. To the school to prison pipeline. To inequity inequities in education, employment opportunities, and compensation. To the existence of food deserts and inaccuracies in health care.
"Our history is replete with both individual and systemic discriminatory practices. Many of them still firmly in place today. In fact, it is these very policies and practices that contributed to and made this atrocity possible. The effects of these policies, some current, and others decades and centuries old, created the segregation in our city and enabled this defendant to research and identify his target to maximize the impact of his evil intent. All of these policies and systems, either sponsored or tolerated by the government, and implemented by individuals, were designed to destroy the very fabric of family life, opportunities for success, the creation of generational wealth, and even the mere existence of hope, in communities of color.
"The harsh reality is that white supremacy has been an insidious cancer on our society and nation since its inception. And it undermines the notions of a meritocracy, and the land of opportunity that we hold so dear. However, white supremacy is not inevitable, or unstoppable. It has been carefully cultivated and nurtured by individuals and the government for centuries. This is the history that we have all inherited. It has been passed down from generation to generation, we must acknowledge that history. See that history for what it is. Recognize it. And learn from it. Or we are doomed to repeat it.
"Let ours be the generation to put a stop to it. We can do better. We must do better. Our own humanity requires it. As an individual, we must call out injustice in our daily lives when we see it. We must reject racism in all of its forms. We must be conscious of the power of our words and actions and the impact they have on those around us both intended and unintended. We must demand better of our public servants in their efforts to address inequity, and we must embrace government policies aimed at creating and fostering diversity, equity and inclusion. We must make the outpouring of support, love and compassion that followed this heinous act an everyday practice. We are stronger together. These are hard and challenging times. Our characters are being tested. The future of our nation is at stake. Are we up to the challenge? I believe that we are. In the words of Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman: “There is always light. If only we are brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it.”
"Mr. Gendron, please stand.
"There is no place for you or your ignorant, hateful and evil ideologies in a civilized society. There can be no mercy for you, no understanding, no second chances. The damage you have caused is too great, and the people you have hurt are too valuable to this community. You will never see the light of day as a free man ever again."
