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

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

19 Might 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

Hate crime expenses have been announced towards a man accused of planning to fatally shoot clients and workers of two Jonesboro, Georgia, convenience stores.

Larry Edward Foxworth allegedly fired a gun repeatedly into two convenience stores at 2:30 a.m. on July 30, 2021. Both stores were open for business.

The indictment alleges that Foxworth, who is white, was motivated to shoot into the stores due to the perceived race, colour or nationwide origin of the people contained in the stores.

“No individual ought to be afraid to shop or go to work in our group. Nor should people have to fret that they might be violently attacked because of the color of their pores and skin,” U.S. Lawyer Ryan K. Buchanan mentioned in a statement.

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

He is being charged beneath the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully trigger bodily damage, or try to do so utilizing a dangerous weapon due to the victim’s actual or perceived race, color, 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 shooting 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 Attorney Basic Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated. “Fortunately no one was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, however the Justice Department is committed to utilizing all of the tools in our law enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

U.S. Assistant Attorney Common for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks throughout a news convention on the Department of Justice, Aug. 5, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

This is the first time in about eight years that hate crime prices have been filed within the Northern District of Georgia, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Workplace informed ABC News.

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

ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.