Federal hate crime charges introduced against man accused of plotting racist shooting in Georgia

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

19 Could 2022, 13:58

• 3 min learn

Hate crime fees have been announced towards a person accused of planning to fatally shoot prospects and staff 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. Both stores had been open for enterprise.

The indictment alleges that Foxworth, who is white, was motivated to shoot into the shops because of the perceived race, coloration or national origin of the individuals contained in the stores.

“No individual must be afraid to shop or go to work in our neighborhood. Nor should folks have to worry that they could be violently attacked due to the colour of their pores and skin,” U.S. Legal professional Ryan Ok. 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 beneath the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily injury, or attempt to take action utilizing a harmful weapon because of the victim’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 keeping with the U.S. Census Bureau.

The fees against Foxworth come within 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 General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division mentioned. “Thankfully no one was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, but the Justice Division is dedicated to utilizing all the instruments in our regulation enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

U.S. Assistant Lawyer Basic for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks throughout a news convention 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. Attorney’s Office instructed ABC Information.

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

ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.