The Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo have become central locations for police as the stores continue to receive threats. Back in May, shocking news circulated after reports stated that a man walked into a Tops store and opened fire, killing as many people as he could. The shooter was a reported white supremacist who purposefully hunted down Black patrons, and in the end, he took the lives of 10 people and injured three others.
As the community attempts to rebuild following the tragedy, local news stations reported that there were ongoing threats against other Tops locations.
Outlet WKPW 7 News in Buffalo shared that just days after the May shooting, 33-year-old Andrew J. Marsh was arrested for threatening staff at another Tops location while referencing the tragedy. In more recent news, the news station reported that once again, a threat against a Tops location was being investigated, resulting in the arrest of a Washington man, 37-year-old Joey David George.
The suspect was arrested in Seattle and reportedly charged "with making interstate threats." In addition to this incident, George was also accused of making similar remarks to a California restaurant, allegedly stating that he would "shoot Black and Hispanic people" while using racist slurs. As far as the threats to Tops were concerned, he was said to have boasted about his weapons and questioned staff about the number of Black people inside the store.
A mugshot of George has not yet been shared.
