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REV. AL SHARPTON, ATTORNEY BEN CRUMP & FAMILY OF RUTH WHITFIELD TO GATHER FOR FUNERAL OF BUFFALO MASS SHOOTING VICTIM
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Whitfield Was One of 10 Victims Killed by White Supremacist Gunman
New York, NY (Friday, May 27, 2022) – Rev. Al Sharpton will speak this Saturday at the funeral of Ruth Whitfield at the request of her family, while Attorney Ben Crump will deliver a Call to Action. Whitfield, 86, was one of 10 people killed when a body armor-clad gunman opened fire at a TOPS Friendly Market on May 14th. The mother of four had stopped at the grocery store on her way home from a regular visit to her husband, who lives in a nearby nursing home.
The gunman livestreamed the horrific shooting, during which 13 people in total were shot – 11 of whom were Black. Authorities said he researched parts of New York State with the highest concentration of Black residents before posting a 180-page racist tirade online.
The shooting has left the city and the nation shaken. Rev. Sharpton and Attorney Crump, counsel to the Whitfield family, joined with them and relatives of several victims to call on federal action against white supremacy. The National Action Network (NAN) has been on the ground since the shooting, supporting its Buffalo chapter. Because the TOPS was the only grocery store in a food desert, NAN has opened a food distribution site on Wednesdays at the Greater Works Christian Fellowship (210 Southampton Street). In partnership with World Central Kitchen, the Baptist Ministers Conference of Buffalo, and other community partners, the site will be open Wednesdays at 10 a.m. to provide free food while supplies last.
WHEN:
Services: 12 p.m.
Please note: Doors open at 9:00 a.m.
Pre-Set for broadcast media – 6:30-6:45 a.m.; Re-entry: 9:00-10:15 a.m.
WHO:
Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network
Attorney Ben Crump, counsel for the family
Pastor William Gilison, Mt. Olive Baptist Church
WHERE:
Mt. Olive Baptist Church
701 East Delavan Avenue
Buffalo, NY14215
About National Action Network (NAN)
National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.
For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net.
About Ben Crump Law
Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com
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