Geraldine Talley was 62 when she was killed on Saturday afternoon, May 14, 2022, while shopping at the Tops Friendly Markets on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo, New York. Known to family as Gerri, she was described as a beloved mother and grandmother with a gentle, loving nature. Her fiancé, Gregory Allen, was with her in the store but they became separated when a gunman opened fire.

Geraldine was one of ten Black people killed in a racially motivated mass shooting. The attacker, identified as Payton Gendron, had traveled from out of state and carried a semi-automatic rifle; he livestreamed the attack and was arrested at the scene. Investigators recovered a written manifesto laying out a racist, white supremacist ideology. On November 28, 2022, Gendron pleaded guilty to state charges, and on February 15, 2023, was sentenced to multiple life terms without parole.

Geraldine’s family and community continue to mourn her loss and remember her warmth and devotion to family.