Oldest Buffalo massacre victim Ruth Whitfield honored at memorial service

family and friends of 86-year- Old Ruth E. Whitfield held visits and memorial services at Buffalo Church two weeks after police reported that a white supremacist had killed Whitfield and nine others. people. Authorities say the shooter targeted Tops Friendly Markets. store because it was in predominantly black area.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff, met with Whitfield’s relatives ahead of services, according to the White House, and she performed at the funeral.

Harris, who was invited to speak by the Rev. Al Sharpton, marked a “through line” through the mass shootings. in buffalo; Uvalde, Texas; Atlanta and Orlando, telling the audience in Buffalo that today is ‘a moment that calls for all good peopleall God-loving people stand up and say: “We will not stand for that’s enough, we’ll meet on the basis of on that we all know we have in common and we won’t let it people who motivated by the hatred of individual us or do us feel fear.”

“I’m here to say that we are all in together – no one should Someday made to fight alone, she said. in closure. “We are stronger than those who would try to hurt us I think we are – we are strong. We are strong in our faith. We are strong in our belief in what is right and our determination to act to ensure that we protect all those who deserve protection that we see all these who deserve to be seen, that we hear voices of in people and what we are rise up in solidarity speak out against this and talk to our best angels.”

Garnell Whitfield said he tried call his mother hearing about the shooting but couldn’t get in touch with her. He drove past her house and then went to Tops where he found her car in parking space. Whitfield later learned that his mother was among the victims.

“The devastation, the anger, the hurt, the disbelief, the pain,” Whitfield said, describing his feelings that day. “She was the glue that held our family together.”

Whitfield said that family won’t stop calling out the alleged motive of the suspect.

“This is white supremacy. This is hate. This is racism. It’s bigotry,” Whitfield said. “And we have to call it is what it is, and stop beating around the bush, take it head on because he is reproducing. It doesn’t get better.”

Among them were Celestine Cheney, Roberta Drury, Andre McNeil, Katherine Massey, Margus Morrison and Hayward Patterson.

“She was a very peaceful, sweet person, and I feel like people should learn to be like it yourself,” Cheney’s granddaughter Kayla Jones said at the funeral.

President Joe Biden and first Lady Jill Biden visited area in in first days after the shooting took place, calling it an act of domestic terrorism and condemnation of racist ideology of suspect shooter.

Vice President Harris and her husband met with other families of Saturday mass shooting victims together with Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.