Four Years Later: Buffalo Remembers the Lives Lost 5/14

On May 14, 2022, Buffalo was changed forever.

What began as an ordinary Saturday afternoon at the Tops supermarket on Jefferson Avenue became one of the deadliest racist attacks in modern American history when an 18-year-old white supremacist opened fire inside the store, targeting Black residents in the heart of Buffalo’s East Side.

Ten people were killed. Three others were wounded. Families were shattered. A community already burdened by decades of systemic inequity was forced to carry another layer of grief, trauma, and loss.

Four years later, the pain has not disappeared.

The names remain etched into the heart of Buffalo: Katherine Massey, Margus Morrison, Celestine Chaney, Andre Mackniel, Ruth Whitfield, Roberta Drury, Heyward Patterson, Geraldine Talley, Aaron Salter Jr., and Pearl Young.

They were mothers, fathers, caretakers, churchgoers, neighbors, protectors, and friends. They were deeply loved people whose absence is still felt throughout the city.

As Buffalo marks the fourth anniversary of the massacre, memorial services, moments of silence, prayer gatherings, acts of service, and community events are taking place across the city to honor the victims and support survivors and loved ones still navigating unimaginable grief.

For many residents, remembrance is intertwined with reflection. The attack forced difficult national conversations about racism, extremism, gun violence, online radicalization, and the ongoing dehumanization of Black communities. Those conversations continue today as communities across the country wrestle with division, violence, and distrust.

Yet amid the heartbreak, Buffalo has also demonstrated resilience.

Neighbors showed up for one another in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and continue to do so years later. Faith leaders, mental health advocates, community organizers, volunteers, and everyday residents have worked to bring healing, support, and restoration to a community forever impacted by tragedy.

Still, healing is not linear.

The emotional scars remain visible for survivors, witnesses, first responders, and families who continue learning how to live with profound loss. Many East Side residents say the anniversary serves as both a painful reminder and a sacred commitment to never allow the victims to be forgotten.

At Empowering Everyday Women, we pause to honor the lives taken on May 14 and to stand with the Buffalo community in remembrance.

We remember the victims.

We remember the survivors.

We remember the families whose lives were permanently altered.

And we continue praying for healing, justice, peace, and unity in Buffalo and throughout the nation.

“Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” — Amos 5:24