5/14: The Day the Devil Came to Buffalo

by Mark Talley, Jacquie Abram (Foreword)

Sponsored by Buffalo - Niagara National Action Network

The date was May 14, 2022, a day that will go down in history as the day the devil, disguised as a racist asshole with hate in his heart and a semiautomatic rifle, came to the eastside of Buffalo and killed ten innocent Black people at Tops Friendly Market. Geraldine C. Talley, my sixty-two-year-old mother, was one of them. She was the last person he killed with two shots to the head before police “calmly” arrested him. I guess I can find a little solace in the fact that they didn’t take him to Burger King afterwards like they did when Dylann Roof, that other racist asshole, murdered nine Black people during Bible study and worship at their church.

Genres: True Crime

150 pages, Paperback

Published May 13, 2023

Reviews

[Jenn McFarland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

I live in buffalo and work with one of the victims daughters and others in my school that were effected on a personal basis. This book will have you laughing and crying. Like Mark says we need to end the racism that this country lives on.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live in WNY, home to Buffalo. My family members lived in this neighborhood for decades. I still cannot fathom that a hateful racist chose to come here to cause carnage. There are no words to comfort any of survivors or victim families. 10 people dead for no other reason that hate, 3 people injured and numerous others traumatized. All of their lives and surviving families - their lives altered, forever, for generations to come. In the meantime, the racist pig and his lawyers are negotiating his judicial future. He is fed and clothed everyday. His future punishment of prison or death sentence is being negotiated before the trial begins. The victims are still dead, and survivors recovering from trauma, if they ever recover. He did live streaming of his slaughter, there is no denying he did it. Mr. Talley was able to view the live stream days after the slaughter, he witnessed every victim get killed, including his own mother. I will never understand why law enforcement allowed it to be online days after the crime. Social media knew of the details days before the murders, but did NOTHING to contact law enforcement to try to prevent it.

There are details in the book that were not reported or shared in media. I cried through parts of this book. NO one deserved this. Mr. Tally is a very brave, strong man. He is attempting to change society's attitudes. The community came together in support of them. This horrific crime will never be forgotten by locals. The victims will always be remembered here in Buffalo. We remember them by name, not just a memorial, but by name and face and their personal story. I always remember Celestine Chaney when I buy strawberries, she went in to buy them for shortcake. I can't look at strawberries without thinking of her. I can't go into my TOPS store or others without thinking of them.

The writing is easy to read, the subject matter is not. This one event hurt Buffalonians to the core. We do expect that justice had better be served.

[Jessica Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a resident of Buffalo, my heart ached reading this book. Please visit Agents for Advocacy and see how you can be of help in our neighborhoods and your own.

[Christina Matheis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me crying. It's an amazing book, but so sad that people lost their live to nonsense

[Aya · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay, but not stellar. I believe this is the only published book about this particular mass shooting, and it showcases the perspective of the family of one of the victims, so that was interesting enough to get me to read it. I would recommend this short read only if you’re looking to learn more information about the shooting. Talley utilizes various rap songs from the 90s and 2000s as his chapter titles, and consequently the various “eras” of his life before and after his mother’s death. One thing I found particularly jarring was the chapter that was just dedicated to a description of the violent video of the shooting. If we’re not going to name the shooter to decrease notoriety, but describe what he did in vivid detail in a video he explicitly wanted live-streamed, then that feels a little contradictory to me. I still wish Talley all the best, as the shooter’s federal trial does begin this year.

[Chris Wickes · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read.

[tammy lyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

we all need to feel

It took less than 3 hours to read this. I could not put it down. I laughed & cried but mostly I hurt. I relived a lot of emotions from that day all over again & I cried even more. I wish I could do anything to help relieve the pain that still haunts us to this day. Buffalo Love is strong. My prayers are with you always

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful. Heartfelt. Necessary.
Please read Mark’s first-person account of loss and survival and support Agents for Advocacy.

[Christina Mages · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me crying. It's an amazing book, but so sad that people lost their lives to such nonsense.