BUFFALO, N.Y. — A space dedicated to the victims of the racist mass shooting at the Tops on Jefferson Avenue was unveiled Tuesday, marking two years since the tragedy on Buffalo's East Side.
The names of the 10 victims killed on May 14, 2022, sit atop 10 stone columns that line a circular garden, with a sculpture titled 'Unity' near the center.
According to Tops, the 5/14 Honor Space was created to be a place of remembrance and respite for the families of the victims, the survivors, and the community.
The space is located at the corner of Landon Street and Jefferson Avenue, a few hundred feet from the supermarket that was sought out by a self-proclaimed white supremacist gunman who was seeking to kill as many black people as possible.
"The memorial space that has been worked on by members of the community won't heal but it does recognize and what it does say is that [day] is important and was important and should never go away," said former Buffalo Common Council President and Pastor Darius Pridgen.
Some people wept when they saw the honor space for the first time, others told 2 On Your Side they didn't know how to feel; the emotions of 5/14 are still fresh in their minds.
"The day you know it resonates, it registers, just some time I drive by I walk by it does hit me," said Marquez Mack, an East Buffalo native.
The Honor Space will be dedicated at 2 p.m. Tuesday. It will be followed by a moment of silence at 2:28 p.m. marking the exact moment the shooting took place two years ago.