Families of victims unleash tears and frustrations

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Families of some of the victims of Saturday’s mass shooting unleashed tears and frustration on the steps of Antioch Baptist Church.

The family of shooting victim Ruth Whitfield came together with the families of three other victims to meet with renowned civil rights icon Rev. Al Sharpton, who now leads the National Action Network that monitors acts of bigotry and unequal justice.

The anguish of a daughter whose mother, her best friend, was cut down by a gunman as she was only buying groceries at the supermarket.

The children of Ruth Whitfield, who was killed at Tops Saturday, sharing their grief and their heartbreak with the loved ones of three other victims.

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“I took my last picture of my mom on Mother’s Day and she was so beautiful, but that picture can’t replace her, nothing can,” said Robin Harris, daughter of Ruth Whitfield.

Whitfield’s family has retained prominent civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump to find justice for their deceased mother.

“None of these families last week this time, thought they were going to be broken-hearted victims of a young, depraved white supremacist,” Crump said.

Civil rights icon, Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network is taking up their cause.

“This is an assault on all of us. They did not shoot these victims because of who they were, they shot them because of what they were, they were guilty of being Black,” Sharpton said.

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While the Whitfields have been the face of this tragedy, others spoke out on behalf of their loved ones.

Veronica White struggled through her tears on behalf of her deceased nephew Andre Mackniel.

“I cannot believe somebody would give some child a gun and let them him think it is okay and come in somebody’s hometown and just shoot it up,” White said.

Tirza Patterson’s son Jacob quietly covered his tears as she spoke of his father, Heyward Patterson, also killed in the shooting. She called on an African proverb to get them through.

“I need a village to help me raise and be here for my son because he has no father,” Patterson said.

Those families promised to support Patterson, and be the village to help raise her son.

Sharpton also praised Buffalo for reacting to last week’s shooting not with violence, but rather with love and dignity to in his words, “answer an atrocity.”