At least 10 dead in mass shooting at New York state supermarket

Correspondent Robert Moore reports on the mass shooting, which is thought to have been livestreamed

At least 10 people have been killed by a gunman at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, in what the local county sheriff has called a "hate crime". Authorities said three others were wounded at the Tops Friendly Market and the alleged shooter was in custody.

The gunman, wearing body armour and military-style clothing, entered the supermarket with a rifle and opened fire, one official said.

He is thought to have posted white supremacist, anti-Semitic views online before livestreaming the incident on Twitch. The local county sheriff, John Garcia, said the shooting was a "hate crime" by someone "not from the area", adding that 11 out of the 13 casualties were Black.

Earlier, an official said authorities are investigating whether the shooting was racially motivated. The supermarket is in a predominately Black neighbourhood, about three miles north of downtown Buffalo.

It's surrounding area is primarily residential, with a Family Dollar store and fire station nearby.

'He was standing there with the gun to his chin'

Braedyn Kephart and Shane Hill, both 20, pulled into the parking lot just as the shooter was exiting.

They described him as a white male in his late teens or early twenties sporting full camo, a black helmet and what appeared to be a rifle. “He was standing there with the gun to his chin. We were like what the heck is going on? Why does this kid have a gun to his face?” Kephart said.

He dropped to his knees. “He ripped off his helmet, dropped his gun, and was tackled by the police.”

Police closed off the block, lined by spectators, and yellow police taped surrounded the full parking lot.

Mayor Byron Brown and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz were at the scene late on Saturday afternoon, gathered in a parking lot across the street from the Tops store and expected to address the media. Governor Kathy Hochul tweeted that she was “closely monitoring the shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo,” her hometown. She said state officials have offered help to local authorities.

Investigators have not released any information about why they believe the man charged in that attack targeted the supermarket.