Federal hate crime expenses announced in opposition to man accused of plotting racist taking pictures in Georgia

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

19 Could 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

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

Larry Edward Foxworth allegedly fired a gun repeatedly into two comfort shops at 2:30 a.m. on July 30, 2021. Each stores have been open for business.

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 buy or go to work in our community. Nor ought to individuals have to fret that they may be violently attacked because of the color of their pores and skin,” U.S. Legal professional Ryan Ok. Buchanan said 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 underneath 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 utilizing a harmful weapon due to the victim’s precise or perceived race, coloration, religion or national origin.

Clayton County is a predominantly Black community, making up 72.8% of the inhabitants, based on the U.S. Census Bureau.

The fees in opposition to Foxworth come in the wake of the mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store.

The 18-year-old suspect in Buffalo shot and killed 10 folks, 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 Normal Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Thankfully no one was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, however the Justice Division is committed to using all the tools in our legislation enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

U.S. Assistant Attorney Basic for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks throughout a news conference on the Division of Justice, Aug. 5, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

This 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. Legal professional’s Workplace instructed ABC Information.

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

ABC Information' Luke Barr contributed to this report.