Federal hate crime fees announced 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 fees have been introduced in opposition to a man accused of planning to fatally shoot customers 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 shops were open for business.

The indictment alleges that Foxworth, who's white, was motivated to shoot into the shops because of the perceived race, shade or national origin of the people contained in the shops.

“No individual needs to be afraid to buy or go to work in our group. Nor should people have to fret that they could be violently attacked due to the color of their pores and skin,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Okay. 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 yet entered a plea.

He's being charged under the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully trigger bodily harm, or try to do so utilizing a harmful weapon because of the sufferer’s precise or perceived race, shade, religion or national origin.

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

The costs against Foxworth come in the wake of the mass taking pictures 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 Attorney Common Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division mentioned. “Thankfully nobody was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, but the Justice Department is committed to utilizing all of the tools 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 during a information convention on the Division of Justice, Aug. 5, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

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

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

ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.