Lynnwood man arrested after threatening to shoot Buffalo grocery store customers, prosecutors say

A 37-year-old Lynnwood man was arrested Thursday for allegedly threatening to shoot Black customers at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.

Joey David George is charged with making interstate threats and is scheduled to appear in court Friday afternoon, according to federal prosecutors.

George phoned a Buffalo grocery store twice, on Tuesday and Wednesday, threatening to shoot Black people in the store and ranting about a “race war,” federal prosecutors allege.

On May 14, 10 Black people were killed and several were injured in a mass shooting at a Tops Friendly Markets store in Buffalo. An 18-year-old with ties to white supremacy has been charged in that attack. George did not call the same grocery store but referenced it in his threat, prosecutors said..

Prosecutors said George is also being charged in connection with a May call to a restaurant in San Bruno, California, in which he allegedly threatened to shoot Black and Hispanic patrons, and with making other threatening calls to businesses in Maryland, Connecticut and Washington over the last year.

“George allegedly used racial slurs and threats to shoot customers at the businesses because of his racial hatred,” according to Western District of Washington prosecutors.

“The Buffalo community is trying to heal from the horrific shooting at a Tops grocery store. I cannot imagine the type of fear such hate fueled threats engendered in those just trying to go about their daily lives,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “We cannot tolerate this kind of hate in our community and will not sit by while people seek to terrorize others across our country.”