Federal hate crime fees announced towards man accused of plotting racist shooting in Georgia

The man allegedly shot into two grocery shops in Jonesboro, Georgia.

19 Could 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

Hate crime fees have been announced in opposition to a man accused of planning to fatally shoot prospects and staff of two Jonesboro, Georgia, comfort stores.

Larry Edward Foxworth allegedly fired a gun repeatedly into two convenience shops at 2:30 a.m. on July 30, 2021. Both shops have been open for enterprise.

The indictment alleges that Foxworth, who's white, was motivated to shoot into the shops because of the perceived race, color or nationwide origin of the people contained in the stores.

“No person needs to be afraid to buy or go to work in our community. Nor should individuals have to worry that they could be violently attacked due to the color of their pores and skin,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Ok. Buchanan said in a press release.

Foxworth was charged with two counts of committing a federal hate crime and discharging a firearm to commit a violent crime. He has not yet entered a plea.

He is being charged below the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily harm, or attempt to take action utilizing a dangerous weapon due to the sufferer’s actual or perceived race, shade, religion or national origin.

Clayton County is a predominantly Black group, making up 72.8% of the population, in line with the U.S. Census Bureau.

The charges in opposition to Foxworth come in the wake of the mass capturing at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket.

The 18-year-old suspect in Buffalo shot and killed 10 individuals, injuring three others, in what authorities have described as a racially motivated rampage.

“Hate-fueled violence has no place in a civilized society,” Assistant Legal professional Normal Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Thankfully no one was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, however the Justice Division is dedicated to utilizing all the tools in our regulation enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks during a information conference at the Department of Justice, Aug. 5, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

That is the primary time in about eight years that hate crime prices have been filed within the Northern District of Georgia, a spokesperson for the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace advised ABC News.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clayton County Police Division.

ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.