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

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

19 May 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

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

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

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

“No particular person ought to be afraid to shop or go to work in our group. Nor should folks have to worry that they might be violently attacked because of 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 yet entered a plea.

He is being charged underneath the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily injury, or try to take action using a harmful weapon because of the victim’s precise or perceived race, shade, religion or national origin.

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

The fees towards Foxworth come in the wake of the mass taking pictures at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket.

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 Basic Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division mentioned. “Thankfully no one was injured by the conduct alleged on 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 Lawyer General for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks during a information convention at the Department 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 within the Northern District of Georgia, a spokesperson for the U.S. Legal professional’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.