© 2025 WGCU News
PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

NY governor pledges $10 million to fight domestic terrorism after Buffalo shooting

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that she is pledging $10 million to establish new teams in every county and in New York City dedicated primarily to combat domestic terrorism. Here, Hochul holds up signed legislation as she is surrounded by lawmakers during a bill signing ceremony at the Northeast Bronx YMCA on June 6, 2022 in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago
/
Getty Images
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that she is pledging $10 million to establish new teams in every county and in New York City dedicated primarily to combat domestic terrorism. Here, Hochul holds up signed legislation as she is surrounded by lawmakers during a bill signing ceremony at the Northeast Bronx YMCA on June 6, 2022 in New York City.

In the fight to curb domestic terrorism on the local level, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced new guidance Tuesday to support the development of domestic terrorism prevention plans following the deadly mass shooting in Buffalo.

Hochul pledged $10 million to assist counties across New York in the development of threat assessment management teams.

This is a step in the right direction but more must be done, Javed Ali, associate professor at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, told NPR.

"The more states like New York that develop their own plans to address domestic terrorism, the better," Ali said. "It will provide a quilt-work of different activities in the short-term that will allow some of the more longer-term aspects of the Biden administration's national strategy to take root."

The teams, according to Hochul, will be compromised of law enforcement and mental health professionals, school officials and other important stakeholders tasked with identifying, evaluating and reducing domestic terrorism.

"In the wake of the horrific domestic terror attack in my hometown of Buffalo, I committed to New Yorkers that we will confront the scourge of domestic terror head-on," Hochul said in a statement.

Each county's plan must include input from local law enforcement, mental health and school professionals and others before being submitted to the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services' Office of Counterterrorism by Dec. 31, according to Hochul.

The Buffalo gunman, 19-year-old Payton Gendron, is currently facing 27 counts following the deadly attack at the Tops supermarket.

If convicted on all 27 counts, Gendron could face either the death penalty or a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.

The attorney general will decide at a later date on whether to seek the death penalty, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Jonathan Franklin
Jonathan Franklin is a digital reporter on the News desk covering general assignment and breaking national news.
Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • Adult Thorn Bugs are half-inch long insects that are “true bugs” (members of the insect Family Membracidae). They are native to South America, Central America, and many tropical islands. As with other members of this family, Thorn Bugs have sucking mouthparts that allow them to pierce plant tissues and drink plant sap. As a result, Thorn Bugs can cause the death of some twigs and potentially introduce diseases to the plant. However, in most cases, Thorn Bug populations are very low and damage caused by thorn bugs is minimal. The good news is that these insects do not feed on most native North American trees. Thorn bugs are an exotic invasive species in Florida that was likely introduced long ago along with an exotic tree species such as the Earleaf Acacia.Even today these insects feed primarily on exotic invasive trees and shrubs imported from tropical areas.
  • Thousands of immigrants have been transferred from jails and prisons across Florida into ICE facilities since President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. The tool behind this pipeline is called a detainer: a request by the federal agency to state and local law enforcement to hold individuals who are not U.S. citizens for up to 48 hours past their scheduled release for possible detention and deportation.
  • La Niña conditions are expected to start influencing Florida's weather. Historically, La Niña Novembers have featured below-average rainfall and only brief cold snaps.