Federal hate crime prices announced against man accused of plotting racist taking pictures in Georgia

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

19 May 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

Hate crime prices have been announced in opposition to a person 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 stores 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 shops 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 people have to worry that they might be violently attacked because of the colour of their skin,” U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan mentioned 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's being charged beneath the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully trigger bodily injury, or attempt to take action utilizing a dangerous weapon because of the victim’s actual or perceived race, colour, religion or national origin.

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

The costs against Foxworth come in the wake of the mass shooting 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 Legal professional Common Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated. “Thankfully nobody was injured by the conduct alleged on this case, but the Justice Division is dedicated to using all the tools in our law enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

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

That is the first time in about eight years that hate crime expenses have been filed within the Northern District of Georgia, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Workplace advised ABC News.

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.