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

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

19 May 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

Hate crime costs have been introduced towards a man 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 convenience stores at 2:30 a.m. on July 30, 2021. Both stores have been open for enterprise.

The indictment alleges that Foxworth, who is white, was motivated to shoot into the shops because of the perceived race, color or national origin of the individuals inside the shops.

“No person ought to be afraid to buy or go to work in our group. Nor ought to individuals have to fret that they may be violently attacked because of the color of their skin,” U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan mentioned 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 below the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily harm, or try to do so utilizing a dangerous weapon due to the victim’s precise or perceived race, coloration, faith or national origin.

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

The charges against Foxworth come in the wake of the mass taking pictures 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 Basic Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Thankfully nobody was injured by the conduct alleged on this case, but the Justice Department is dedicated to using all the instruments in our legislation enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

U.S. Assistant Legal professional Common for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks throughout 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 prices have been filed in the Northern District of Georgia, a spokesperson for the U.S. Lawyer’s Office informed 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.