Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that two teenagers have been convicted for their involvement in a shooting that resulted in the death of a 3-year-old boy and injured his sister last summer. This morning, jurors rendered their decision after approximately five hours of deliberation following a four-day trial.
A 16-year-old male from Buffalo was found guilty of one count of Murder in the Second Degree (Class A-I felony), one count of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree (Class B violent felony), one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class C violent felony), and one count of Assault in the Second Degree (Class D violent felony). The juvenile offender was convicted of all counts in the indictment.
A co-defendant, a 17-year-old male from Buffalo, was found guilty of one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree (Class B violent felony), a lesser included offense, and one count of Assault in the Second Degree (Class D violent felony). The adolescent offender was acquitted of the other charges.
On the evening of Friday, June 21, 2024, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Buffalo Police responded to a shooting on Domedion Avenue near Genesee Street. Two children were hit by gunfire while playing outside. One victim, 3-year-old Ramone “Red” Carter, was shot in the back. He was taken in a police patrol vehicle to ECMC where he was pronounced dead. The other victim, his 7-year-old sister, was grazed by a bullet. She was taken by ambulance to Oishei Children’s Hospital where she was treated for an injury to her back.
A few minutes after the shooting, Buffalo Police apprehended the adolescent offender, age 16, and juvenile offender, age 14, a few blocks away from the scene of the crime. The teens were wearing clothes and shoes that matched the description provided by eyewitnesses. Police found the juvenile offender in possession of an illegal handgun at the time of his arrest.
Prior to the shooting, the defendants approached a group of young males. The juvenile offender, with the intent to cause the death of another person, fired shots from an illegal gun toward the group. The children, who were not the intended targets of the shooting, were subsequently hit by the gunfire. The evidence determined that two guns were used in the commission of the crime, but the second weapon was not recovered during the investigation.
“Ramone Carter’s life was tragically ended before his fourth birthday. ‘Red’ and his older sister were innocent victims of gun violence perpetrated by two teenagers in possession of illegal firearms. I commend the surviving victim for her courageous actions on the day of this crime and bravely testifying before a jury. I also want to acknowledge the responding officers who rendered immediate aid to ‘Red’ and those who swiftly apprehended the suspects moments after the shooting,” said District Attorney Mike Keane.
The adolescent offender and the juvenile offender are scheduled to be sentenced before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. Both remain held without bail in the custody of the Erie County Youth Services Center. The juvenile offender faces a maximum of 15 years to life of incarceration. The adolescent offender, who is eligible for youthful offender adjudication, faces a maximum of 25 years of incarceration. At this time, our office will not be releasing their names due to their age at the time of the crime.
DA Keane commends Officer Ashunti McClain, Officer Michael Griffin, Officer Jordan Wansart, Officer Stanley Honrada and Officer Peter Nguyen of the Buffalo Police Department, Erie County Central Police Services, and victim advocates Kimberly Rapp and Nicole Haffa for their work in this investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John P. Gerken, Jr. of the Homicide Bureau and Chief Noha A. Elnakib of the Raise the Age/Motor Vehicle Theft Insurance Fraud Unit.
