NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) – The suspect in the mass shooting in Buffalo, New York appeared in court on Thursday. Payton Gendron, 18, wore an orange jumpsuit, white face mask, and shackles. He remained silent throughout the hearing.

The hearing lasted just a few minutes before it was rescheduled for next month. A grand jury indicted him on first-degree murder charges. Hate crime and terrorism charges could be added. Police say he killed 10 black people at a supermarket on Saturday.

A New Haven bishop is reeling from the loss of his cousin in the shooting. He wants justice and to put an end to these senseless acts of violence.

It was an emotional conversation, stemming from the mass shooting. Bishop Charles Brewer shared his heartache and unimaginable loss for a cousin he loved.

“Her daughter dropped her off to go shopping and left and the son came back to pick her up to a surrounded grocery store. And later found out that his mother had been killed,” Brewer said.

Brewer spoke at a press conference on Thursday and described the circumstances surrounding his cousin’s violent death. Pearl Young, 77, is described as a loving mother of three who has deep ties to New Haven and worked as an operating room technician for decades.

“She is the reason that I’m here. She migrated my mother from the south and introduced her to my late father. After retiring and becoming married, she moved to Buffalo,” Brewer said.

Brewer is a member of the New Haven Clergy Association. On Thursday, they met and made a passionate plea to end mass shootings, acts of hate, and rampant racism.

“All good people must stand up against evil no matter where it comes from and no matter where it occurs. What happened in Buffalo doesn’t just affect people in that city, it affects all of us across this country,” said Dr. Boise Kimber, a pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church in New Haven.

They also called for stricter gun laws and emphasized the importance of mental health. They say if it can happen in a city like Buffalo, it can happen here.

“This is a targeted area that has the possibility of that kind of thing to happen. It is time for all the leaders to start to really put aside their petty differences and for us to come together,” Brewer said.

In Young’s memory, Brewer says, “I would ask that you keep our family in prayer and that we would do the right thing and make sure that this never happens again.”

The New Haven Clergy Association is calling on Mayor Justin Elicker to step up police protection at churches, specifically black churches in the city.

Elicker released the following statement:

“The New Haven Police Department has been in regular contact with federal law enforcement and we have been monitoring the situation closely so we can respond quickly to any threat. Our hearts are filled with anguish and anger for the victims of the vile, racist mass shooting in Buffalo, which has touched our New Haven community as well and we extend our deepest condolences to Bishop Charles Brewer for the loss of his family member. Black Lives Matter in Buffalo, New Haven and every corner of our country. Racism and gun violence continue to wreak havoc on our nation, and those that commit such acts and those that create the conditions that condone them must be held accountable.”