Comedian Dave Chappelle is helping the Buffalo mass shooting victims’ families.
According to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Chappelle booked a last-minute show in Buffalo on Sunday. He then told the audience he was donating the proceeds of the ticket sales to the victims of the racially motivated attack at a supermarket where a white gunman killed 10 people.
The show took place at Shea’s Performing Arts Center, a 3,019-seat venue on Main Street in Buffalo.
“He said, and I’m paraphrasing, (he) came here to Buffalo to recognize the victims and for these families,” Kevin Sweeney, director of marketing and communications for Shea’s Performing Arts Center.
When he finished his show, Chappelle, who has not commented yet on his gesture, mentioned that family members of the victims had also been invited to the performance.
Tickets for the last-minute show went on sale on the Live Nation website 10 a.m. on June 2 and sold out within an hour.
The mass shooting suspect, 18-year-old Payton Gendron, was apprehended and charged with first-degree murder at Buffalo City Court. Gendron opened fire on the grocery store premises with the plan to kill Black people. He live-streamed the shooting on Twitch.
After shooting four people outside in the parking lot, Gendron headed inside The Tops Friendly Markets. Once inside, he was confronted and shot at by an armed security guard but it hit his bulletproof vest. He then shot and kill the guard, and then “[worked] his way through the store,” said Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia. Thirteen people were shot at, including four Tops employees; 10 died and three were injured. Of all the victims, 11 were Black, and two were white.
Before being taken into custody, Gendron planned to take his own life, placing his weapon to his neck but officials convinced him to lower the rifle, which he had etched with the N-word.