The Buffalo supermarket shooter apparently used a semiautomatic weapon that he acquired legally but said he illegally modified it. The gunman purchased a Bushmaster XM-15 in Endicott, N.Y., that matched the authorities’ description of the weapon he used. In online posts, Payton Gendron said he illegally modified the gun in order for it to use a high-capacity magazine.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the high-capacity magazine the shooter allegedly used in the attack was not legally obtained in New York. Police said they recovered two other long guns from the perpetrator’s car. While New York law prohibits people under 21 from obtaining a permit for handguns, long guns (rifles and shotguns) can be possessed by people starting at 16 and purchased starting at 18. Both Hochul and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown called for stricter gun laws after the shooting.