Buffalo Tops reopening this Friday

Since the shooting, the store has remained closed as crews worked on redesigning and renovating it.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — In Buffalo, the Tops store that was the site of a mass shooting will reopen on Friday, July 15. That's roughly two months since 10 people at the Jefferson Avenue supermarket were fatally shot and three others injured.

The accused shooter is a suspected white supremacist. Every person killed was Black.

"Some say," said Leonard Lane, the president of the anti-violence organization Buffalo F.A.T.H.E.R.S., "They're not sure how they will feel when it reopens—if they want to even shop there. And some say they may not even shop at all."

Since the shooting, the store has remained closed as crews worked on redesigning and renovating it. "That's a long time for anyone to go without fresh fruits and fresh vegetables in the neighborhood but at the same time, the wounds are still fresh," Lane told News 4. "People are still grieving over their loved ones and over their families."

The day before the store's reopening, a moment of silence and prayer will take place there, exactly two months after the mass shooting. Tops President John Persons will be present, along with a number of elected officials and community representatives. The moment of silence and prayer will take place at 2:30 p.m.

Buffalo City Councilmember Ulysees Wingo, Sr. sat down with NEWS10's sister station in Buffalo to discuss the reopening: