The mass shooting site in Buffalo was more than just a grocery store

The Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, New York, where 10 people were murdered on Saturday (May 14), will remain closed until further notice. An 18-year-old white man has been accused of killing 10 people and injuring three others at the grocery store according to law enforcement officials, who described the attack as racially motivated. Most of the people who were shot were Black.

In a city shaped by decades of segregation (pdf), this grocery store is more than a just place to stock up on milk, cereal, chicken, and rice, it a significant landmark for the Black community.

The Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue is where friends and relatives catch up. The grocery store is a place where shoppers cash in their coins, buy a money order, or get medicine from the pharmacy. Customers can also pay their utility bills at the store, which is accessible by bus service. It’s a place where community groups pick up refreshments for local meetings, said Takiyah Nur Amin, a former Buffalo resident, via email. Amin, a founder of a consulting firm, was born and raised in Buffalo, and still has family there. She took to Twitter to share her thoughts with another poster who Tweeted about what the market meant to the community.

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