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

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

19 May 2022, 13:58

• 3 min learn

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

Larry Edward Foxworth allegedly fired a gun repeatedly into two comfort shops at 2:30 a.m. on July 30, 2021. Each shops were open for enterprise.

The indictment alleges that Foxworth, who's white, was motivated to shoot into the stores due to the perceived race, coloration or nationwide origin of the individuals inside the stores.

“No person needs to be afraid to shop or go to work in our community. Nor ought to people have to worry that they could be violently attacked because of the colour of their pores and skin,” U.S. Lawyer Ryan Ok. 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's being charged under the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily harm, or attempt to do so using a harmful weapon due to the sufferer’s actual or perceived race, color, faith or national origin.

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

The fees towards Foxworth come within the wake of the mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store.

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

“Hate-fueled violence has no place in a civilized society,” Assistant Lawyer Basic Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division mentioned. “Thankfully nobody was injured by the conduct alleged on this case, but 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 Legal professional Normal for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks during 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 expenses have been filed in 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 Department.

ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.