Federal hate crime charges announced towards man accused of plotting racist shooting in Georgia

The person 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, convenience shops.

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

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

“No individual should be afraid to buy or go to work in our neighborhood. Nor should individuals 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 an announcement.

Foxworth was charged with two counts of committing a federal hate crime and discharging a firearm to commit a violent crime. He has not but entered a plea.

He's being charged under the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily injury, or attempt to take action using a dangerous weapon because of the victim’s actual or perceived race, colour, faith or nationwide origin.

Clayton County is a predominantly Black group, making up 72.8% of the population, in keeping with the U.S. Census Bureau.

The fees towards Foxworth come within the wake of the mass capturing at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket.

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 Lawyer Normal Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division mentioned. “Thankfully no one was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, but the Justice Department is committed to utilizing all of the tools in our law enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

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

This is the first time in about eight years that hate crime costs have been filed within the Northern District of Georgia, a spokesperson for the U.S. Lawyer’s Office informed ABC Information.

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

ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.