New York J 985: Commemorating the three-year Anniversary of the mass shooting at Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo, New York, on May 14, 2025, and honoring the victims, survivors, families, and community at large in wake of this

Bill Text

Bill Search and Legislative Information | New York State Assembly 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

 Skip to main content 

 New York State Assembly

 Speaker Carl E. Heastie

 --> 
 --> 

 --> 

• 
 Assembly Members 

• 
 Legislative Info 

• 
 Public Hearings 

• 
 Speaker's Press 

• 
 Assembly Reports 

• 
 Committees & More 

• Bill Search Home
• Laws
• Legislative Calendar
• Public Hearing Schedule
• Assembly Calendars
• Assembly Committee Agenda 

 Javascript must be enabled to properly view this page. 

 - This bill is not active in this session.

 Bill No.: 

• Summary 
• Actions 
• Committee&nbspVotes 
• Floor&nbspVotes 
• Memo 
• Text 
• LFIN 
• Chamber&nbspVideo/Transcript 
J00985 Summary:

BILL NOJ00985 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

&nbsp

SPONSORRYAN S

&nbsp

COSPNSRBASKIN, ADDABBO, ASHBY, BAILEY, BORRELLO, BRISPORT, BROUK, BYNOE, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK, CHAN,
 CLEARE, COMRIE, COONEY, FAHY, FERNANDEZ, GALLIVAN, GIANARIS, GONZALEZ, GOUNARDES, GRIFFO, HARCKHAM,
 HELMING, HINCHEY, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, JACKSON, KAVANAGH, KRUEGER, LANZA, LIU, MARTINEZ, MARTINS,
 MATTERA, MAY, MAYER, MURRAY, MYRIE, OBERACKER, O'MARA, ORTT, PALUMBO, PARKER, PERSAUD, RAMOS,
 RHOADS, RIVERA, ROLISON, RYAN C, SALAZAR, SANDERS, SCARCELLA-SPANTON, SEPULVEDA, SERRANO, SKOUFIS,
 STAVISKY, STEC, STEWART-COUSINS, TEDISCO, WALCZYK, WEBB, WEBER, WEIK

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

&nbsp

Go to top J00985 Actions:

BILL NOJ00985 

&nbsp

05/12/2025REFERRED TO FINANCE

05/13/2025REPORTED TO CALENDAR FOR CONSIDERATION

05/13/2025ADOPTED

Go to topJ00985 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topJ00985 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topJ00985 Text:

Assembly Resolution No. 511

BY: M. of A. Peoples-Stokes

 COMMEMORATING the three-year Anniversary of the
 shooting at Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo, New
 York, on May 14, 2025, and honoring the victims,
 survivors, families, and community at large in wake
 of this devastating tragedy

 WHEREAS, The very principles of American freedom, and the safety and
security of every American at home and abroad were challenged by the
unspeakable atrocities committed in the East Side of Buffalo, during a
sunny afternoon on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at a Tops grocery store
located on historic Jefferson Ave; and

 WHEREAS, As we mark the three-year anniversary of this senseless
massacre, the Greater Buffalo community is conducting an array of events
to honor those who lost their lives and to uplift the community,
including the 5/14 Blue Flag Initiative in honor of the lives taken
during the 5/14 racially-motivated mass shooting at Tops on Jefferson
Avenue; this initiative is sponsored by Roswell Park Comprehensive
Cancer Center and is a collaboration between the Mayor's Office, the
City of Buffalo Common Council, Buffalo Public Schools, and local
artists Brandon Watson and Brendan Bannon; the initiative calls for the
creation of blue cyanotype-design flags that will be hung along the
Jefferson Avenue corridor; and

 WHEREAS, Other events in honor of the anniversary of this profound
tragedy include the ECMC's Memorial Walk, Community Health Center of
Buffalo Resiliency Center's Trauma Informed Training for Mass Violence
and a Candlelight Vigil, Healing Through Music at the Buffalo AKG, and
the community will gather for a remembrance ceremony at the Tops
supermarket; additionally, church bells will chime at 2:28 p.m., the
moment the 123-second rampage began; and

 WHEREAS, Furthermore, as we remember this horrific day, we honor the
10 innocent people who were killed: Roberta A. Drury, Geraldine Talley,
Celestine Chaney, Katherine Massey, Pearl Young, Ruth Whitfield, Margus
D. Morrison, Andre Mackneil, retired Buffalo Police Lieutenant Aaron
Salter, and Heyward Patterson; and

 WHEREAS, In addition, we honor the injured survivors: Jennifer
Warrington, Zaire Goodman, and Christopher Braden, and many non-injured
survivors throughout the community; and

 WHEREAS, The May 14th Memorial Commission was established by
Governor Kathy Hochul and former Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown to combat
racism in all forms and work towards a future where hatred and bigotry
are a thing of the past; the Commission, led by Buffalo NAACP President
Reverend Mark Blue, will have a leading role in uplifting the East
Buffalo community; and

 WHEREAS, For all New Yorkers, the images of this horrific domestic
act of terrorism rekindles heartbreaking memories and causes us to pause
and reflect on our daily lives; and

 WHEREAS, The very heart and soul of America was once more shaken to
its core and this tragedy stands as a reminder that such senseless acts
of violence will not destroy the honorable values that America stands
for; and

 WHEREAS, The power of human compassion and the strength and spirit
of the American people were revealed in Buffalo as we learned of the
immediate and heroic outpouring of service and concern for the victims
of this act of terrorism and in its aftermath; and

 WHEREAS