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

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

19 May 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

Hate crime expenses have been announced towards a person accused of planning to fatally shoot customers and staff of two Jonesboro, Georgia, comfort stores.

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

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

“No individual must be afraid to buy or go to work in our community. Nor ought to individuals have to worry that they might be violently attacked due to the color of their pores and skin,” U.S. Legal professional Ryan K. Buchanan stated 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 below the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully trigger bodily damage, or attempt to do so utilizing a dangerous weapon due to the victim’s actual or perceived race, shade, faith or nationwide origin.

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

The charges in opposition to Foxworth come within the wake of the mass capturing 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 Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division said. “Fortunately no one was injured by the conduct alleged on this case, but the Justice Department is dedicated to utilizing all the tools in our regulation enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

U.S. Assistant Legal professional Basic for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks during a news conference at the Division of Justice, Aug. 5, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

This is the primary time in about eight years that hate crime expenses have been filed in the Northern District of Georgia, a spokesperson for the U.S. Lawyer’s Office told ABC News.

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

ABC Information' Luke Barr contributed to this report.