Federal hate crime prices introduced in opposition to man accused of plotting racist taking pictures in Georgia

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

19 May 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

Hate crime fees have been introduced in opposition to a person accused of planning to fatally shoot customers and staff of two Jonesboro, Georgia, convenience stores.

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

The indictment alleges that Foxworth, who is white, was motivated to shoot into the stores because of the perceived race, colour or national origin of the folks inside the shops.

“No person ought to be afraid to shop or go to work in our community. Nor should folks have to worry that they might be violently attacked because of the color of their pores and skin,” U.S. Legal professional 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 yet 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 cause bodily injury, or attempt to take action using a dangerous weapon due to the sufferer’s actual or perceived race, coloration, religion or nationwide origin.

Clayton County is a predominantly Black neighborhood, making up 72.8% of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The fees against Foxworth come within the wake of the mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket.

The 18-year-old suspect in Buffalo shot and killed 10 folks, 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 Normal Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division mentioned. “Thankfully nobody was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, but the Justice Division is committed to using all of the tools in our regulation enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

U.S. Assistant Legal professional General for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks throughout a news conference on the Department of Justice, Aug. 5, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

That is the first time in about eight years that hate crime expenses have been filed within the Northern District of Georgia, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office advised 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.