Buffalo gunman gets life sentence for racist mass shooting

Buffalo mass shooter gets life in prison; Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon unexpectedly quits office.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

“No second chances” for Buffalo mass shooter

John Normile/Getty Images

• On Wednesday, the 19-year-old gunman who killed 10 Black people in a racist mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. [Associated Press / Carolyn Thompson and Jennifer Peltz]
• The victims’ families delivered emotional impact statements during the hearing. At one point, officers had to restrain a man who lunged at the shooter. [CBS News / Emily Mae Czachor]
• On May 14, 2022, the self-avowed white supremacist drove 200 miles to a supermarket in a majority Black neighborhood and opened fire while live streaming the attack. [New York Times / Jesse McKinley and Dan Higgins]
• The shooter pleaded guilty in November to New York state charges, including domestic terrorism motivated by hate, 10 counts of first-degree murder, and three counts of attempted murder. [CNN / Mark Morales, Eric Levenson, and Aya Elamroussi]
• He still faces over two dozen federal charges, including hate crimes that carry the death penalty if the Justice Department pursues it in court. [Axios / Shawna Chen, Jacob Knutson]

📍 If you read just one story

Vox’s Fabiola Cineas explains the history of the white supremacist “replacement theory” and how it incites racist violence. [Vox / Fabiola Cineas]

Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon resigns

• Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon unexpectedly announced her resignation on Wednesday after serving more than eight years in office. [Politico / Andrew McDonald]
• The First Minister said she decided to quit because life as a politician had become brutal in recent years and she’d run out of energy to do the job. [Axios / Ivana Saric]
• Several other world leaders have resigned in recent weeks, including the prime ministers of Moldova and New Zealand. [Guardian / Caroline Davies]
• Sturgeon — the first woman and longest-serving leader of Scotland — is a key leader in the Scottish independence movement. She also opposed Brexit. [AP / Danica Kirka]
• However, in recent weeks, Sturgeon faced criticism over prosed gender reforms and her strategy for Scottish independence. She will remain in the role until her party elects its next leader. [BBC / Glenn Campbell]

Support our work

Reader gifts help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a gift today.

Despite a successful fourth quarter, Meta faces challenges, including Apple’s limiting its advertising business and attracting younger users, according to an internal memo. [Vox / Shirin Ghaffary]

• 17-year-old Duangpetch Promthep, one of a dozen boys dramatically rescued from a Thailand cave in 2018, died Sunday in the UK of unknown causes. [BBC / Jonathan Head and Kelly Ng]
• After a years-long investigation, the Justice Department has declined to file sex trafficking charges against Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. [CNN / Paula Reid and Hannah Rabinowitz]
• The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday warned the US could default on its debt between July and September without action from Congress. [NYT / Alan Rappeport]

“There can be no mercy for you, no understanding, no second chances.”

[Judge Susan Eagan on the Buffalo shooter’s sentencing / CBS]

Nikki Haley kicks off a Republican mutiny

Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, is running for president. Vox’s Andrew Prokop says she’s likely the first of many prominent Republicans to challenge Trump.

Read more from Vox

You’re not bad with money. But you can get better.

Ron DeSantis’s war on “woke” in Florida schools, explained

Joe Biden is mad about hidden fees and you should be, too

How the Harry Potter video game became an ethical minefield

Why effective altruism struggles on sexual misconduct

This email was sent to you. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe. If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution.

View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service.

Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036.
Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.