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

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

19 Could 2022, 13:58

• 3 min learn

Hate crime fees have been announced towards a man 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 convenience shops at 2:30 a.m. on July 30, 2021. Both 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, shade or nationwide origin of the folks contained in the stores.

“No person ought to be afraid to shop or go to work in our neighborhood. Nor ought to folks have to fret that they could be violently attacked due to the color of their skin,” U.S. Legal professional Ryan K. Buchanan stated 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 but 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 trigger bodily harm, or try to take action using a harmful weapon because of the victim’s precise or perceived race, coloration, religion or national origin.

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

The costs in opposition to Foxworth come within the wake of the mass capturing at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store.

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 General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Fortunately nobody was injured by the conduct alleged on this case, but the Justice Department is dedicated to utilizing all of the tools in our law enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

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

That is the primary time in about eight years that hate crime costs have been filed in the Northern District of Georgia, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office 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.