A heavily armoured gunman killed 10 people and injured three at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, authorities said, adding that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating the incident as a hate crime. The shooter has been taken in custody, tweeted Buffalo Police Department.
The suspect is an 18-year-old white man, who was heavily armed with tactical gear and a helmet during the shooting on Saturday afternoon, Xinhua news agency quoted Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia as saying to reporters late Saturday.
The gunman wore military-style clothing and body armour while carrying a rifle, according to reports.
He had a camera and the shooting was live streamed, according to Gramaglia.
Gramaglia said 11 victims are black while the other two are white.
US President Joe Biden has been briefed on "the horrific shooting" in Buffalo, according to the White House.
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Biden "will continue to receive updates throughout the evening and tomorrow as further information develops," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
An investigation is under way to check if the gunman posted a manifesto online and the shooting was believed to be live-streamed, said the report, citing a local enforcement official.
Investigators are also working to know if the shooting was racially motivated, the report added.
Named Tops Friendly Market, the supermarket is located around 2 miles northeast of downtown Buffalo.
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who was born in Buffalo, said she is on the way to Buffalo to assist with the response to the shooting.
More than 28,000 people have died or been injured due to gun-related incidents in the US this year, according to a database run by the nonprofit research group Gun Violence Archive.
