Sadiq Khan feels ‘incredibly safe’ despite Buffalo shooting suspect’s manifesto

The London mayor appeared on Payton Gendron’s list of enemies he wanted dead

Author: Danielle SaundersPublished 16th May 2022

London mayor Sadiq Khan has said he feels "incredibly safe" despite being named by Buffalo shooting suspect Payton Gendron on a list of enemies he wanted dead.

Gendron, 18, is accused of shooting dead 10 people at a supermarket in the US city on Saturday.

Mr Khan was reportedly described as a "Muslim invader" under a page entitled "Kill high profile enemies" in a 180-page manifesto published online by Gendron.

Sadiq Khan’s response to Payton Gendron

The London mayor said: "It's heart-breaking to see 10 innocent people have lost their lives.

"My key response is to make sure that we respond by showing that our diversity is a strength, not a weakness."

Asked if he felt safe in his role, Mr Khan replied: "It's been on public record that I receive police protection.

"It's unfortunate but it's a fact of me being the mayor.

"I've been incredibly safe because I'm looked after by dedicated, decent, brave police officers."

He added: "In London we've seen terrorists try to inflict damage, terrorise us and change the way we live our lives.

"We've got to make sure we're always vigilant, never complacent.

"The best response to a terrorist is to make sure we're resilient and we don't allow ourselves to be cowered."

Mr Khan was in the US last week to promote London's tourism industry, visiting New York and Los Angeles.

The mayor was also named in an online manifesto by Australian terrorist Brenton Tarrant who shot dead 51 people in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 2019.

READ MORE: Mayor of London creates group to consider decriminalising cannabis

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.