Federal hate crime costs announced against man accused of plotting racist capturing in Georgia

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

19 May 2022, 13:58

• 3 min read

Hate crime charges have been introduced towards a person accused of planning to fatally shoot prospects and employees of two Jonesboro, Georgia, convenience stores.

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

The indictment alleges that Foxworth, who's white, was motivated to shoot into the stores because of the perceived race, coloration or nationwide origin of the people inside the shops.

“No individual should be afraid to buy or go to work in our neighborhood. Nor ought to individuals have to worry that they might be violently attacked because of the colour of their pores and skin,” U.S. Lawyer Ryan K. Buchanan stated in an announcement.

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's being charged beneath the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully trigger bodily harm, or attempt to take action using a dangerous weapon due to the victim’s precise or perceived race, color, faith or nationwide origin.

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

The fees towards Foxworth come in the wake of the mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store.

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 Legal professional Common Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division mentioned. “Fortunately no one was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, but the Justice Department is dedicated to using all the tools in our legislation enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

U.S. Assistant Attorney Basic for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks during a news conference on the Division 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 within the Northern District of Georgia, a spokesperson for the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace instructed ABC Information.

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.