John,

We are horrified by the shooting today in Buffalo, New York, which law enforcement quickly classified as a hate crime. A gunman killed ten people and injured three others in the attack, allegedly posting a virulently racist and antisemitic manifesto shortly before the shooting.

Eleven of the victims were Black and according to the manifesto, the attacker allegedly chose the location because he believed a high percentage of Black people live there. Markings on the perpetrator’s gun appear to be white supremacist in nature, including a reference to the “14 words,” a popular white supremacist slogan: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”

We have been warning about, and working to disrupt, the danger of domestic terrorism for years. This is yet another tragic example of how vigilant all of society must be to confront this clear and present danger. Law enforcement agrees; FBI Director Christopher Wray calls this kind of extremism among the biggest threats the United States faces.

The alleged shooter is virulently racist and antisemitic; the manifesto advocates for a war between Jews and non-Jews. “We outnumber them 100x, and they are not strong by themselves,” he wrote. “But by their Jewish ways, they turn us against each other. When you realize this you will know that the Jews are the biggest problem the Western world has ever had. They must be called out and killed, if they are lucky they will be exiled. We can not show any sympathy towards them again.”

The manifesto also contains extensive writing about the racist and antisemitic Great Replacement conspiracy theory. These kinds of conspiracy theories, which were once consigned to the fringes of society, have hit more mainstream audiences thanks to cable news channels and social media, which promote hatred that all too often has deadly consequences.

Identified by police as an 18-year-old from upstate New York, the shooter drove to Buffalo where he wore tactical armor and a body camera and fired on the employees and customers of a Tops supermarket. He attempted to livestream the shooting on the popular game streaming platform Twitch, but it was quickly taken down. The ADL Center on Extremism has been reviewing his alleged online post and reports that his goal was to “spread awareness to my fellow whites about the real problems the West is facing,” and “encourage further attacks that will eventually start the way that will save the Western world.”

According to our ADL Center on Extremism analysts, the alleged shooter is not a member of a particular white supremacist group, but was inspired by Brenton Tarrant, the Christchurch, New Zealand, mosque shooter. He also applauds other white supremacist “ethno-soldiers” like John Earnest, Robert Bowers and Dylann Roof.

ADL’s team is heading to Buffalo to provide support to the community and to law enforcement. This is a developing story, and we will provide updates as we learn more information.

We grieve for the victims, their families and the city of Buffalo. We appreciate all you do in joining ADL to Fight Hate for Good.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Greenblatt

CEO and National Director

ADL