Federal hate crime fees introduced towards 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 learn

Hate crime fees have been announced against a man accused of planning to fatally shoot prospects and employees of two Jonesboro, Georgia, comfort shops.

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

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

“No person ought to 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. 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 but 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 cause bodily damage, or attempt to take action using a harmful weapon because of the sufferer’s actual or perceived race, coloration, religion or nationwide origin.

Clayton County is a predominantly Black neighborhood, making up 72.8% of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The fees towards Foxworth come within the wake of the mass capturing at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket.

The 18-year-old suspect in Buffalo shot and killed 10 folks, 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 Normal Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division said. “Fortunately nobody was injured by the conduct alleged on this case, however the Justice Department is dedicated to using all of the instruments 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 news convention on the Division of Justice, Aug. 5, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

That is the first time in about eight years that hate crime expenses 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 Department.

ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.