Federal hate crime expenses introduced towards man accused of plotting racist shooting in Georgia

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

19 Might 2022, 13:58

• 3 min learn

Hate crime fees have been introduced towards a man accused of planning to fatally shoot clients and employees of two Jonesboro, Georgia, convenience shops.

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

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 individuals inside the stores.

“No person ought to be afraid to shop or go to work in our community. Nor ought to folks have to fret that they may be violently attacked because of the color of their skin,” U.S. Legal professional Ryan K. Buchanan said 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'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 try to do so using a harmful weapon because of the victim’s actual or perceived race, coloration, religion or national origin.

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

The charges towards Foxworth come in the wake of the mass taking pictures at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store.

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 Lawyer Common Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Thankfully nobody was injured by the conduct alleged on this case, but the Justice Division is committed to using all of the tools in our law enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

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

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

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

ABC Information' Luke Barr contributed to this report.