Police noted in a press conference that they covered the Buffalo massacre that the gunman had entered the store just hours before it was attacked.
WIVB-TV’s Tara Lynch interviewed a man who allegedly encountered the shooter when he was casing the store. Grady Lewis is the man. Lewis said that the shooter had on a shirt that read “genius,” so he wanted to reach out and talk to him to see if he was a genius.
“He seemed like he was,” Lewis said. He said he also reached out to him since he didn’t seem to be from the neighborhood. He detailed how they spoke about String Theory, Critical Race theory, and the beginning of civilization — an amazing thing considering what the man planned on doing the next day.
According to the shooter’s name, Payton, Lewis was telling him that he was a camperman and had come there to explore the country. Lewis purchased him something to drink and then they sat down to talk for approximately an hour and 45 mins.
Lewis, who said he often sits in front of the market, decided not to sit there on Saturday afternoon because he had heard the security guard, Aaron Salter, tell people that they can’t be lingering around outside the store. That’s why he took his drink across the street, and was there when the shooter began his attack at the supermarket. Lewis said that he heard the shooting and knew that it wasn’t firecrackers. According to Lewis, he was able to see the gunman shooting at people as well as the security officer running in the direction of the shop. The shooter then came out.
“He put the gun to his head, to his chin. Then he dropped it and he took off his bulletproof vest, and then got on his hands and knees and put his hands behind his back and they arrested him,” he said.
He said that it took only two minutes for police to reach the spot.
“I heard at first and saw seven or eight gun-smoke shots. When he went inside, I heard at least 20 or so shots, but I couldn’t really tell because I was yelling and screaming myself for somebody to call the police. So he went in there shooting,” he said. “… I’m still kind of [shaken] up.”
Lewis says that Salter told people to stop lingering outside the store saved his life. Otherwise, he stated that he would still be sitting where he was last night with the gunman. Lewis shared his story of how the shooting ended with the suspect holding up the gun and then being taken to the police.
Lewis is lucky to be alive — twice.
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