WATCH | Buffalo shooting: Grieving family member lunges at gunman, as he gets sentenced to life

In a dramatic court hearing, an avowed White supremacist who had killed 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, last year was sentenced to life imprisonment without any possibility of parole as a grieving family member, in an emotional state, lunged at the accused.

Gunman Payton Gendron, aged 19, pleaded guilty to 15 state charges which included murder and terrorism motivated by hate. Before the sentence was announced on Wednesday, a family member tried to lunge at the accused and was restrained by security.

Emotion-filled statements were shared by other relatives. Barbara Massey, who lost her sister Katherine in the shootout, said to the gunman,  "You are going to come to our city and decide you don't like black people. Man, you don't know a damn thing about black people. We're human."

The statement of Massey was interrupted by her own son as he rushed towards the gunman. Outside the court, she told reporters, "he saw me emotional and I'm his mom".

"We're close. You hurt one of us, you hurt us all," she said. 

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Zaire Goodman, who had suffered injuries, has been facing survivor's guilt, said his mother in the courtroom.

"He is dealing with the pain that I as a mother cannot bear," said Zeneta Everhart. "On that day this terrorist made the choice that the value of a black human meant nothing to him… whatever the sentence is that (the gunman) receives, it will never be enough," she added.

In the shooting, Brian Talley's family member Geraldine Talley was killed. "I forgive you, but I forgive you not for your sake, but for mine and for this black community," he stated.

All of the 10 people shot by the gunman were Black. Three others had suffered injuries. 

Son of Celestine Chaney, Wayne Jones, whose mother was also killed in the shooting, spoke to the gunman, "You've been brainwashed. You don't even know black people that much to hate them. You learned this on the internet. I hope you find it in your heart to apologise to these people, man. You did wrong for no reason."

The gunman wept as Tamika Harper shared memories of her aunt Geraldine Talley who was also murdered.

"Do I hate you? No. Do I want you to die? No. I want you to stay alive. I want you to think about this every day of your life," Harper said to the killer.

Investigators stated that Gendron had researched Buffalo's racial makeup before his attack. The May 14 attack was live-streamed by him after he wrote how he was inspired by other racially motivated shootings.

However, his statements in court differed. "I shot and killed people because they were black. Looking back now, I can't believe I actually did it. I believed what I read online and acted out of hate. I know I can't take it back, but I wish I could, and I don't want anyone to be inspired by me and what I did," the gunman said.

Judge Susan Eagan, delivering her judgement, said: "There can be no mercy for you, no understanding, no second chances." 

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