LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Kentucky man pleaded guilty Thursday to federal hate crimes and firearm charges stemming from the racially-motivated shootings of Black shoppers at a Louisville-area Kroger. 

Gregory A. Bush, 53, of Louisville, pleaded guilty to federal hate crime and firearm charges arising out of his racially motivated murder of two Black patrons at a Kroger grocery store, and his attempted murder of a third, on Oct. 24, 2018, in Jeffersontown, Kentucky. Bush previously pleaded guilty-but-mentally-ill to state charges for murder, attempted murder, and wanton endangerment arising out of the shooting, and was sentenced to a life term in state prison.

Gregory Bush killed two Black shoppers at a Jeffersontown Kroger in 2018, wounding a third.

During the plea hearing in federal court, Bush admitted that on Oct. 24, 2018, he drove to the Kroger grocery store in Jeffersontown armed with a Smith & Wesson, model 411, .40-caliber pistol. In the store, Bush followed a Black man, Maurice Stallard, who was shopping with his grandson, for the length of an aisle before pulling the gun from his waistband and shooting Stallard in the back of the head.

Bush then shot the victim several more times in the torso, killing him. Bush had no prior relationship with the Stallard and chose to shoot him because Stallard was Black. Bush then re-holstered his gun and calmly walked out of the store. 

In the parking lot, Bush walked up to a Black woman, Vicki Jones, and shot her several times killing her. Like Stallard, Bush did not know Jones and shot her only because she was Black. 

Seconds later, Bush encountered a Black man who was in lawful possession of a handgun. The third victim asked Bush what was going on, and Bush, without responding, began walking toward him with the gun drawn. The third victim fired at Bush, and Bush returned fire. After about a minute, Bush stopped shooting and walked away. Bush had no prior relationship with the third victim and chose to shoot at him because of his race. Bush next encountered a white man, who was legally armed with a firearm. Bush told him, “Don’t shoot me [and] I won’t shoot you. Whites don’t shoot whites.”   

“Today’s guilty plea will ensure that a violent and disturbed man will never get another chance to target and terrorize the Black community,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan for the Civil Rights Division. “It won’t bring back two pillars of the Louisville community, whose tragic and senseless deaths we mourn, but we hope it sends the message that the Justice Department will work tirelessly to bring perpetrators of bias-motivated violence to justice.”

“The work of the Jeffersontown Police Department, FBI and ATF in responding to and thoroughly investigating this tragic event is commendable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “The outstanding effort of the federal prosecutors assigned to this case and the solid working relationship we have with our state counterparts in the Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office were instrumental in bringing about this plea.”

“The senseless murder of two of our citizens because of their race has no place in our community. Hate cannot, and will not, win,” said FBI Louisville Special Agent in Charge Robert Brown. “Today’s guilty plea is just one example of the Justice Department's and the FBI’s commitment to protecting civil rights for all and vindicating the rights of violent crime victims.”       

“In its mission to protect our nation, ATF stands committed to swiftly arresting those who create terror in our communities through violent acts of hate,” stated Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Louisville Field Division. “In this instance, two Louisville African Americans were gunned down while shopping for groceries – merely due to the color of their skin. ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to seek justice for the victims and families of violent hate crimes and we will work tirelessly to enforce laws to prevent these tragedies.”

Bush faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Bush’s sentencing in federal court will be held on June 24, 2021.