Before the May 14 massacre at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue, the accused 18-year-old gunman turned to an Iowa man named Cory Clark for advice on purchasing body armor. According to his online diary, Payton Gendron and Clark – a customer service specialist for the Iowa-based body armor manufacturer RMA Armament – interacted over a period of months on both the public social media site Reddit and in a private chatroom for weapons enthusiasts. Complete coverage: 10 killed, 3 wounded in mass shooting at Buffalo supermarket A Buffalo News review of nearly 3,200 posts Clark made on Reddit, as well as related marketing activity on platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Discord, show that RMA has for years marketed military-grade body armor to civilian buyers ranging from firearms hobbyists to doomsday preppers. People are also reading… Erie County real estate transactions First case of monkeypox identified in Erie County Neighbors appear to have few qualms with Bills’ stadium plans Mike Harrington: Even though he’s not on the ice, Matthew Savoie already finding his comfort zone with the Sabres Under the username shorta07, Clark promoted RMA as one of “very few manufacturers” to sell directly to the public. He has suggested buyers circumvent civilian body armor restrictions in one state and advised Reddit users on the types of body armor that protect against military bullets. The company also works with an online influencer who has posted video “satires” about killing federal agents. In August 2020, Clark encouraged Redditors to stock up on body armor before the presidential election.
via buffalonews: Company that sold Tops gunman body armor left controversial digital trail