Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr. announces that 19-year-old Diamond Lewis has been sentenced to 131 years to life in prison by Erie County Court Judge Kenneth F. Case.

After a non-jury trial in October, Judge Case found Lewis guilty of two counts of Murder in the Second Degree, and several other assault and attempted murder charges.

After hearing the evidence introduced by the prosecution, Judge Case found the defendant shot 8 different people at four different locations in the City of Buffalo between October of 2014 and January of this year.  Among the dead are two young men, and among the injured were a 13-year-old girl and an 18-year-old girl, both innocent bystanders. One of the surviving victims is permanently paralyzed.

“This defendant’s actions were deadly and reckless, and I commend Judge Case for delivering this fair and just sentence,” says acting DA Flaherty. “This community is safer because Mr. Lewis will remain locked up for many years to come.”

Flaherty also praised Buffalo Police Department Detectives Scott Malec, Mark White and Christopher Sterlace of the Homicide Unit, and Assistant District Attorneys John Patrick Feroleto, Eugene T. Partridge III and Meghan E. Leydecker who prosecuted the case.

“This day may never have come if it weren’t for the superior investigative work and dogged determination of our law enforcement partners and the superb trial skills of my prosecutors,” says acting DA Flaherty. “This truly was a team effort among all of the members of the Buffalo Police Department Homicide Squad.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Mr. Skipper and Mr. Scott, and we hope that the other victims continue to heal.”

Summary of shootings:

The first homicide took place on October 14, 2014.  The victim, 22-year-old David Skipper, Jr. of Buffalo was shot on Erb Street.

The second homicide occurred on June 6, 2015 on Warren St. in Buffalo.  The victim was 18-year-old Alonzo Scott of Buffalo.  In this shooting, five people were shot.  Scott died, a man was paralyzed and three others were injured.

On August 13, 2015, Lewis fired several shots from a vehicle at the corner of Playter and Kent in Buffalo, targeting a man, but striking the 18-year-old female bystander.

On January 25, 2016, Lewis fired several shots at a group of individuals in front of a store on Fillmore Avenue (near French) in Buffalo and struck the 13-year-old female bystander.

Lewis was arrested January 26, 2016 at ECMC when he sought treatment for a superficial gunshot wound.