Authorities in upstate New York are investigating the possibility that a retired federal agent might have had around 30 minutes advance warning of the mass shooting plot targeting Black people in a Buffalo supermarket, according to The Buffalo News. Citing two law-enforcement sources with direct knowledge of the investigation, the report claims the alleged shooter invited at least six members of an online chatroom to read about his plans—including the location of the market he would target—about a half hour before the carnage began. It’s thought that one of the six users of the chatroom, where shared racist beliefs were discussed, is a former agent believed to be from Texas. It’s not been established if the agent actually accepted the invitation to view the plans, but an FBI source confirmed to the local paper that none of the six called law enforcement to raise the alarm about an upcoming shooting. The attack at a Tops Markets store on May 14 left 10 people dead.
