BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Erie County District Attorney's Office announced that two teens from Buffalo were found guilty of killing a three-year-old and injuring another child in a shooting in June 2024.
According to the DA, a 16-year-old male from Buffalo, who was 14 years old at the time of the crime, was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder, one count of second-degree attempted murder, one count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and one count of second-degree assault. The DA said the juvenile offender was convicted of all counts in the indictment.
A co-defendant, a 17-year-old male from Buffalo, who was 16 years old at the time of the crime, was found guilty of one count of first-degree manslaughter and one count of second-degree assault. The DA said the adolescent offender was acquitted of the other charges.
According to the DA, on June 21, 2024, two children were shot while playing outside on Domedion Avenue near Genesee Street. One victim, three-year-old Ramone “Red” Carter, was shot in the back and taken in a police patrol vehicle to ECMC where he was pronounced dead. The other victim, his seven-year-old sister, was grazed by a bullet and taken by ambulance to Oishei Children’s Hospital where she was treated for an injury to her back.
Police apprehended the teens a few blocks away from the scene of the crime and they were wearing clothes and shoes that matched the description provided by eyewitnesses. The DA said the juvenile offender was found in possession of an illegal handgun at the time of his arrest.
According to the DA, before the shooting, the teens approached a group of young males, and the juvenile offender fired shots from an illegal gun toward the group. The children, who were not the intended targets of the shooting, were shot. The DA said evidence determined that two guns were used in the commission of the crime, but the second weapon was not recovered.
“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."
The teens are scheduled to be sentenced in Erie County Court on January 20, 2026. 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 and the adolescent offender, who is eligible for youthful offender adjudication, faces a maximum of 25 years. Their names are not being released due to their age at the time of the crime.
