Georgia man pleads guilty to racially motivated shooting spree in convenience stores
Ryan King
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A man from Georgia pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime and a firearms violation for a shooting rampage in two convenience stories where he hoped to kill patrons due to their race and ethnicity, the Justice Department announced Friday.
Larry Foxworth, 48, fired off multiple rounds in two Clayton County, Georgia, stores back on July 30, 2021, in an incident that did not kill or injure anyone and was arrested shortly after the second attack, according to the DOJ. While in custody, he “professed belief in white supremacist ideology” and voiced hope that he killed his targets.
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“Foxworth used a firearm to commit a heinous hate crime that traumatized his victims as well as the communities who rely on these businesses,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia said, per the DOJ. “The vigorous prosecution of such abhorrent acts of violence and intimidation with the assistance of our federal partners is a top priority for this office.”
Under the plea agreement, Foxworth could face between 20 and 25 years in prison, and the sentencing is slated for March 16, 2023. The attacks were conducted with a Glock pistol and took place in a Shell gas station convenience store on Tara Boulevard in Jonesboro, Georgia, and a nearby BP gas station convenience store, per the DOJ.
Both stores were open at the time of the rampage. Clayton County police apprehended Foxworth and conducted an investigation alongside the FBI. Foxworth confessed to targeting “black people and others who he perceived to be Arab.”
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“Hate-fueled violent crimes ripple through communities, making entire groups feel unsafe and unwelcome, spawning fear and anger,” special agent in charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office said. “Prosecuting hate crimes is a top priority of the FBI. We will not back down from obtaining justice for victims of hate-based violence.”
“No one should have to live in fear of being targeted for deadly violence because they are Black or Arab American,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division added. “This conviction should make clear that the Justice Department stands ready to prosecute any individual who carries out a violent hate-motivated crime in our country.”