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

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

19 Might 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

Hate crime prices have been announced towards a man accused of planning to fatally shoot customers and workers of two Jonesboro, Georgia, comfort shops.

Larry Edward Foxworth allegedly fired a gun repeatedly into two convenience shops at 2:30 a.m. on July 30, 2021. Both stores had been open for enterprise.

The indictment alleges that Foxworth, who is white, was motivated to shoot into the stores because of the perceived race, colour or national origin of the folks contained in the shops.

“No particular person must be afraid to shop or go to work in our group. Nor should folks have to worry that they might be violently attacked because of the colour of their pores and skin,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Ok. Buchanan stated 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 but entered a plea.

He is being charged below the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily damage, or attempt to take action using a dangerous weapon due to the victim’s precise or perceived race, shade, faith or nationwide origin.

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

The costs towards Foxworth come in the wake of the mass taking pictures at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket.

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 Lawyer General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division said. “Thankfully no one was injured by the conduct alleged on this case, but the Justice Department is committed to using all the instruments 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.

This is the primary time in about eight years that hate crime charges have been filed within the Northern District of Georgia, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Workplace told ABC News.

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.