Federal hate crime charges introduced in opposition to man accused of plotting racist capturing in Georgia

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

19 Could 2022, 13:58

• 3 min learn

Hate crime costs have been introduced in opposition to a man accused of planning to fatally shoot customers and employees of two Jonesboro, Georgia, comfort stores.

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

The indictment alleges that Foxworth, who's white, was motivated to shoot into the stores due to the perceived race, coloration or national origin of the individuals contained in the shops.

“No particular person needs to be afraid to shop or go to work in our neighborhood. Nor should individuals have to fret that they may be violently attacked because of the color of their pores and skin,” U.S. Legal professional Ryan K. Buchanan said 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 under the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily harm, or try to take action utilizing a harmful weapon due to the sufferer’s precise or perceived race, coloration, religion or national origin.

Clayton County is a predominantly Black neighborhood, making up 72.8% of the population, based on the U.S. Census Bureau.

The charges in opposition to Foxworth come in 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 said. “Thankfully no one was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, but the Justice Department is dedicated to using all the tools in our legislation enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

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

This is the primary 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 Workplace informed 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.