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Cheektowaga man killed in shooting following little league football game

Posted at 11:43 AM, Sep 01, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-02 18:13:57-04

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo police say a Cheektowaga man is dead following a shooting just after 7 p.m. Saturday.

Following the initial investigation police believe there was some type of dispute in or near the parking lot following a youth football game at the football field behind the Harvey Austin School.

According to police, 36-year-old Norzell (Nore) Aldridge of Cheektowaga, and a 20-year-old man from Buffalo were shot. Both men were transported to ECMC in civilian vehicles, Aldridge later died and the 20-year-old man was treated and released.

Videos and Facebook photos show this was a youth football league. Social media posts show Aldridge as one of the coaches during the game.

Captain Jeffrey Rinaldo of the Buffalo Police Department said police were at the field all day, including when the shooting happened.

"It's unfortunate that these things happen, it happened after the game," he said. "We do have a police presence at those games because it does bring a number of people together, sometimes there has been in the past some known gang members that attend these games."

Buffalo Pastor and Common Council President Darius Pridgen says shortly after the incident Saturday, family and friends reached out to him to talk about Aldridge's character.

"He had dedicated this portion of his life to young people," he said of the coach. "Parents called me who said that when their kids get into trouble he was one of the ones to go to," Pridgen said.

A source close to the investigation tells us it appears a fight broke out between two groups of men, and Aldridge rushed in to help.

Aldridge was a coach for the Best Elite Ducks youth football team.

Buffalo Police homicide detectives were back in the neighborhood Monday interviewing potential witnesses.

Police ask anyone with information to call or text the confidential tip line at (716) 847-2255.

No further information is available at this time.