International

U.N. secretary-general calls Buffalo shooting 'vile act of racist violent extremism'

By Rina Torchinsky

Published May 16, 2022 at 1:32 AM PDT

This story was published more than 2 years ago.

Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, addresses the media during a press conference at the Federal Chancellery, Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called the mass shooting in Buffalo a "vile act of racist violent extremism," according to a statement from Farhan Haq, the U.N. chief's deputy spokesperson.

Officials say they are investigating the shooting as racially motivated hate crime. The suspected shooter, who is white, is believed to have written a 180-page screed that delves into his white supremacist beliefs.

Guterres extended condolences to the families of the 10 people who were killed in the shooting, adding that he "hopes justice will be served swiftly," according to the statement.

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"The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest terms racism in all its forms and discrimination based on race, religion, belief or national origin," the statement read. "We must all work together towards building more peaceful and inclusive societies."

Corrected: May 15, 2022 at 9:00 PM PDT

A previous version of this story quoted the U.N. Secretary-General calling the attack a "vile act of racist extremism." In fact, he called it a "vile act of racist violent extremism."