Federal hate crime fees announced against man accused of plotting racist taking pictures in Georgia

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

19 Might 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

Hate crime expenses have been announced towards a man accused of planning to fatally shoot clients and staff of two Jonesboro, Georgia, convenience stores.

Larry Edward Foxworth allegedly fired a gun repeatedly into two comfort shops at 2:30 a.m. on July 30, 2021. Both stores had been open for business.

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

“No person must be afraid to shop or go to work in our neighborhood. Nor ought to people have to fret that they could be violently attacked because of the color of their pores and skin,” U.S. Lawyer Ryan K. Buchanan said 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 underneath the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully trigger bodily harm, or try to take action using a harmful weapon due to the sufferer’s precise or perceived race, color, faith or national origin.

Clayton County is a predominantly Black community, making up 72.8% of the inhabitants, in accordance with the U.S. Census Bureau.

The fees against Foxworth come within the wake of the mass capturing at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store.

The 18-year-old suspect in Buffalo shot and killed 10 individuals, 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 General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division stated. “Thankfully nobody was injured by the conduct alleged on this case, however the Justice Division is committed to utilizing all the tools in our law enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

U.S. Assistant Lawyer Basic for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks during a information conference at the Department of Justice, Aug. 5, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

This is the first time in about eight years that hate crime fees have been filed in the Northern District of Georgia, a spokesperson for the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace informed 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.