Social Issues

US House approves domestic terrorism bill after Buffalo shooting

Washington, May 18 (EFE).- The United States Lower House on Wednesday approved a bill aimed at combating domestic terrorism days after a racially-motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, in which ten people, most of them African-Americans, were killed.

The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022 was approved with 222 votes in favor and 203 against.

The bill proposes the creation of specialized offices in the FBI and in the departments of Justice and Homeland Security to track and investigate possible threats of domestic terrorism, including racist and white supremacist groups.

After its approval in the Democratic-controlled lower house, the bill now goes to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain fate.

The Democrats have a very narrow majority in the upper house and would need the support of Republicans for the bill to be passed.

Although it promises to be an uphill battle, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters on Wednesday that he plans to take procedural steps to force a vote next week.

Ten people were killed and three wounded Saturday in a shooting at a crowded supermarket in Buffalo.

The suspect was identified as Payton S. Gendron, an 18-year-old white man, who traveled over 300 kilometers (186 miles) to a black neighborhood to carry out the massacre.

The crime is being investigated as a racially-motivated terrorist attack after a manifesto was found online, in which Gendron claimed that he wanted to kill all blacks.

Ten people were killed in the shooting and another three wounded. Of the 13 victims, 11 were black.

Gendron was armed and wearing body armor and a protective helmet with an attached camera, which he used to live-stream the incident. EFE

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