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

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

19 May 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

Hate crime charges have been announced in opposition to a man accused of planning to fatally shoot customers and employees of two Jonesboro, Georgia, convenience shops.

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

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

“No individual needs to be afraid to buy or go to work in our community. Nor ought to individuals have to worry that they could be violently attacked because of the colour of their skin,” U.S. Legal professional Ryan K. Buchanan mentioned 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's being charged beneath the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily damage, or try to take action using a harmful weapon due to the victim’s actual or perceived race, shade, faith or nationwide origin.

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

The fees against Foxworth come within the wake of the mass capturing at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store.

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 Basic Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Fortunately no one was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, but the Justice Division is committed to utilizing all of the instruments in our regulation enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

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

That is the first time in about eight years that hate crime fees have been filed in the Northern District of Georgia, a spokesperson for the U.S. Lawyer’s Office 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.