Federal hate crime expenses announced against man accused of plotting racist taking pictures in Georgia

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

19 Could 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

Hate crime charges have been announced against a person accused of planning to fatally shoot clients and workers of two Jonesboro, Georgia, comfort shops.

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

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

“No person must be afraid to shop or go to work in our neighborhood. Nor should individuals have to worry that they may be violently attacked due to the color of their skin,” U.S. Lawyer Ryan Okay. Buchanan mentioned 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 beneath the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully trigger bodily harm, or try to take action using a dangerous weapon because of the sufferer’s actual or perceived race, colour, faith or national origin.

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

The costs towards 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 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 said. “Fortunately nobody was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, however the Justice Department is dedicated to using all the tools in our law enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

U.S. Assistant Attorney Normal for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks during a information conference at 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 Office advised ABC Information.

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.