Federal hate crime charges announced in opposition to man accused of plotting racist capturing in Georgia

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

19 May 2022, 13:58

• 3 min learn

Hate crime costs have been announced against a person accused of planning to fatally shoot clients and staff of two Jonesboro, Georgia, convenience shops.

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

The indictment alleges that Foxworth, who is white, was motivated to shoot into the stores because of the perceived race, shade or national origin of the people contained in the stores.

“No individual needs to be afraid to shop or go to work in our community. Nor should individuals have to fret that they may be violently attacked because of the color of their pores and skin,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Ok. 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 yet entered a plea.

He's being charged below the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, which makes it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily harm, or try to take action using a harmful weapon because of the victim’s actual or perceived race, coloration, faith or nationwide origin.

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

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

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 Basic Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division said. “Thankfully nobody was injured by the conduct alleged in this case, however the Justice Department is committed to utilizing all the tools in our law enforcement arsenal to prosecute allegations of hate crimes.”

U.S. Assistant Legal professional Common for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke speaks during a news convention at the Department of Justice, Aug. 5, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

That 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 Office informed ABC Information.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clayton County Police Department.

ABC Information' Luke Barr contributed to this report.