Federal hate crime costs 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 Might 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

Hate crime prices have been introduced in opposition to a man accused of planning to fatally shoot clients and workers of two Jonesboro, Georgia, comfort stores.

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

The indictment alleges that Foxworth, who's white, was motivated to shoot into the shops because of the perceived race, color or nationwide origin of the people inside the shops.

“No individual must be afraid to shop or go to work in our community. Nor should people have to worry that they might be violently attacked due to the color of their pores and skin,” U.S. Attorney 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 beneath the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully trigger bodily injury, or try to take action using a harmful weapon due to the victim’s actual or perceived race, shade, religion 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 in opposition to 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 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 Lawyer Basic Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division mentioned. “Thankfully nobody was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, however the Justice Department is dedicated to using all the tools in our legislation enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

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

That 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 informed 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.