BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jury selection commenced Tuesday in the federal hate crime trial of Payton Gendron, who admitted to killing 10 Black individuals in a mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket in 2022. The case holds the potential for a rare federal death sentence.

Gendron, 23, is currently serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to state murder charges. During his state trial, he expressed remorse and renounced his white supremacist beliefs. The federal case arises from the same incident at the Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, which is regarded as the deadliest hate-motivated shooting targeting Black Americans by a lone gunman in the past century.

Although Gendron has pleaded not guilty to numerous federal hate crime and firearm charges, his defense team does not contest his responsibility for the killings. One of his lawyers indicated an expectation of conviction during discussions with prospective jurors on Tuesday.

If found guilty in federal court, Gendron faces the possibility of the death penalty. His attorneys have signaled that they will pursue a sentencing phase aimed at convincing jurors to impose life imprisonment rather than execution, which is generally the alternative penalty in federal capital cases.