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

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

19 May 2022, 13:58

• 3 min learn

Hate crime charges have been introduced 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 convenience stores at 2:30 a.m. on July 30, 2021. Each stores were open for enterprise.

The indictment alleges that Foxworth, who is white, was motivated to shoot into the stores due to the perceived race, coloration or national origin of the folks inside the shops.

“No person must be afraid to shop or go to work in our neighborhood. Nor ought to individuals have to fret that they may be violently attacked due to the color of their skin,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Okay. 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 is being charged underneath the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully trigger bodily damage, or attempt to take action using a dangerous weapon because of the victim’s precise or perceived race, coloration, religion or national origin.

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

The charges towards Foxworth come within 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 Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division mentioned. “Thankfully nobody was injured by the conduct alleged on this case, but the Justice Department is dedicated to using all 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 information conference on the Department of Justice, Aug. 5, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

This 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. Legal professional’s Workplace told 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.