Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that a 17-year-old male from Buffalo was arraigned this afternoon before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan on an indictment charging him with two counts of Murder in the Second Degree (Class “A-I” felonies) and one count of Attempted Robbery in the First Degree (Class “C” violent felony).

It is alleged that just after midnight on Friday, August 19, 2022, the adolescent offender, while acting in concert with another juvenile, attempted to rob a 20-year-old male who was in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked on Elmer Avenue in the City of Buffalo. It is further alleged that during the course of the attempted robbery, the adolescent offender fatally shot a female passenger with an illegal gun. The victim, a 16-year-old from Niagara Falls, died from her injuries at the hospital.

Due to the age of the juvenile offender, the case against the 14-year-old was transferred to Family Court earlier today.

The 17-year-old adolescent offender is scheduled to return on Thursday, December 8, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. for further proceedings. He continues to be held without bail at the Erie County Youth Services Center.

DA Flynn commends the Buffalo Police Department Homicide Squad detectives for their work in this investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Chief Gary W. Hackbush of the Homicide Bureau.

As are all persons accused of a crime, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.