Gunman pleads guilty to manslaughter for fatally shooting teenage girl during attempted robbery

Submitted by the Erie County District Attorney’s Office

Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced a 19-year-old male from Buffalo pleaded guilty this afternoon before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan, a designated Youth Part judge, to one count of manslaughter in the first degree (class “B” violent felony).

Shortly after midnight on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022, the adolescent offender, while acting in concert with a juvenile offender, attempted to rob a male victim who was in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked on the 100 block of Elmer Avenue in the City of Buffalo. During the course of the attempted robbery, the adolescent offender shot a female victim, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, with an illegal gun.

The victim, a 16-year-old female from Niagara Falls, died from the injuries at the hospital. Due to the age of the deceased, our office will not be releasing the name of the victim.

The adolescent offender, who was 17 years old at the time of the homicide, faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan on Friday, Dec. 8. As a condition of the plea, the adolescent offender will not be eligible for youthful offender adjudication. He continues to be held without bail at the Erie County Youth Services Center.

The case against the co-defendant, who was 14 years old at the time of the crime, was transferred to Family Court due to the age.

DA Flynn commends the Buffalo Police Department homicide squad detectives for their work in this investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Chief Gary W. Hackbush of the homicide bureau and Assistant District Attorney Joelle M. Marino of the felony trials bureau.