Federal hate crime costs announced towards man accused of plotting racist taking pictures in Georgia

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

19 May 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

Hate crime charges have been announced against 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 shops at 2:30 a.m. on July 30, 2021. Both shops have been open for enterprise.

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

“No particular person must be afraid to buy or go to work in our neighborhood. Nor ought to people have to worry that they might be violently attacked because of the color of their skin,” U.S. Legal professional Ryan Okay. 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 yet entered a plea.

He is being charged beneath the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully trigger bodily injury, or try to take action using a harmful weapon due to the victim’s actual or perceived race, shade, faith 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 fees against Foxworth come within the wake of the mass shooting 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 Basic Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division mentioned. “Fortunately no one was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, however the Justice Department is committed to utilizing all of the tools in our regulation enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

U.S. Assistant Attorney Common for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks throughout a information conference 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. Legal professional’s Office told ABC News.

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

ABC Information' Luke Barr contributed to this report.