LACKAWANNA, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Muslim community came together in a large show of support for the family of a 12-year-old boy who died after being hit by a stay bullet on Saturday night April 6th.
An estimated 400 people packed the Lackawanna Islamic Mosque to say prayers for Badraldeen Elwaseem, whose casket was taken for burial afterwards.
Buffalo Police say the teenager was in his family's upstairs residence at William & Mortimer Streets in Buffalo when the boy was hit in the head by a stray bullet around 8:30 p.m Saturday.
Elwaseem was rushed to the hospital but pronounced dead.
Detectives say an unknown suspect fired a large number of rounds at a vehicle, across the street from the Elwaseem residence, in a parking lot of the Town Gardens Plaza.
A 22-year-old unidentified man was also a victim after being shot multiple times in the "mid-section," said Captain Jeff Rinaldo from Buffalo Police.
After the funeral, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Buffalo police officers and several anti-violence groups gathered at the spot of the shooting to distribute handouts in the neighborhood asking the public for help in finding the gunman.
The FBI and Buffalo Buffalo Crime Stoppers have teamed up to offer $12,500 in rewards for the arrest and indictment of the person responsible.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Buffalo Police Confidential Tipcall Line at (716) 847-2255.
7 Eyewitness News Reporter Ed Reilly has more about the funeral and the community efforts to find the killer.
