Federal hate crime prices introduced in opposition to 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 learn

Hate crime charges have been introduced towards a person accused of planning to fatally shoot customers and employees of two Jonesboro, Georgia, comfort shops.

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

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

“No individual should be afraid to buy or go to work in our community. Nor should folks have to worry that they could be violently attacked because of the colour of their pores and skin,” U.S. Lawyer 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 yet entered a plea.

He is being charged underneath the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully trigger bodily damage, or attempt to do so utilizing a dangerous weapon due to the victim’s actual or perceived race, coloration, faith or national origin.

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

The charges against Foxworth come within 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 Legal professional Normal Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated. “Fortunately no one was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, however the Justice Department is dedicated to using all of the instruments in our legislation enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

U.S. Assistant Lawyer General for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks throughout a information conference 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. Attorney’s Office instructed ABC Information.

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

ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.