Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan hosted the WNY Coalition Against the Death Penalty and its partners in his office in September. The gathering brought together local leaders, family members, and advocates connected by a shared commitment to justice without execution.
Rev. Sharon Risher lost her mother, Ethel Lance, in the 2015 racist mass shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield lost his mother, Ruth Whitfield, in the 2022 racist mass shooting at Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo.
Buffalo Common Councilmember Zeneta Everhart, whose son Zaire was wounded and survived the Tops shooting, also attended. Scott Langley of Death Penalty Action and Coalition Chair Paul McQuillen joined the meeting.