Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 29-year-old Kenyatta Austin of Buffalo was sentenced this morning before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case to a determinate sentence of 20 years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. He was sentenced today as a second felony offender.

On March 19, 2017, at approximately 3:00 p.m., the defendant shot the victim on East Ferry Street near Bissell Avenue in the City of Buffalo. The victim, 24-year-old Luis Flores, died from his injuries a short time later.

Austin is currently serving an indeterminate sentence of 64 years to life in prison following his conviction for the fatal shooting of 54-year-old Yvette Johnson and her 17-month-old grandson, Kyrie Johnson, outside of a home on Grape Street in the City of Buffalo on July 2, 2018. Two other individuals were injured by gunfire, but survived the shooting.

On March 9, 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree (Class “B” violent felony) for the fatal shooting of Luis Flores. His sentence for the killing of Flores will be served concurrently to his sentence for the murders of of Yvette and Kyrie Johnson.

DA Flynn commends retired Det. Sgt. William Cooley of the Buffalo Police Department Homicide Squad for his work in this investigation.

Both cases against the defendant were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ashley M. Morgan of the Homicide Bureau.