Kentucky shooting suspect charged with hate crimes

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A white man accused of shooting and killing two black customers at a Louisville-area grocery store in October has been charged with federal hate crimes, according to court documents.

Gregory A. Bush, 51, is facing one count of a hate crime with attempt to kill, two counts of a hate crime resulting in death, two counts of using a firearm to commit murder and one count of discharging a weapon during a violent crime, according to a federal indictment filed Thursday.

The indictment accuses Bush of fatally shooting Vickie Lee Jones, 67, and Maurice Stallard, 69, because of their “actual and perceived race and color.”

Bush tried to get inside the First Baptist Church of Jeffersontown, a historically black church, before he went to the Kroger store. The doors of the church were locked. The church has since encouraged its members to carry guns.

If convicted, Bush could face life imprisonment or the death penalty, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

“There is no place for hate-fueled violence in our community or commonwealth,” U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky Russell Coleman said in a news release. “Federal, state, and local law enforcement stand united to ensure that Kentuckians can shop, worship, or attend school without the specter of fear.”

Bush is being held in the Louisville jail on a $5 million bond, according to the Louisville Metro Corrections website.

“The crimes alleged in this indictment are horrific,” acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said in a news release. “We cannot and will not tolerate violence motivated by racism. We will bring the full force of the law against these and any other alleged hate crimes against fellow Americans of any race.”