NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — Niagara Falls police say the suspect in a fatal shooting at Niagara Metals has been taken into custody in Wyoming County.
Police responded to Niagara Metals located at 4861 Packard Drive around 8:15 a.m. Thursday and found a Niagara County man dead from a gunshot wound.
Outside Niagara Metals in City of Niagarea Falls where a police are investigating a fatal shooting; https://t.co/8lArIlNQ8o @WKBW pic.twitter.com/UvixGb9U8g
— eileen buckley (@eileenwkbw) June 3, 2021
Officials say the suspect, 35-year-old Matthew H. Figura Jr. fled the scene.
"This was a shocking morning incident here in the city of Niagara Falls," declared Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restanio.
The Falls mayor provided an update to reporters Thursday afternoon. He says he can confirm that victim and suspect worked at this location of Niagara metals.
"Mayor can you confirm that it was indeed workplace violence?" Buckley asked.
"I don't know if it was workplace violence — I don't know if it was a personal matter and that's what I’m hoping we find out more about once conversations start going on with the individual that has been apprehended," replied Restanio. "That's the part that right now continues to be the blind spot —what did create this circumstance that resulted in this incident and I don't have a direct answer to that yet."
Before he was taken into custody, he was last seen driving a black Nissan Frontier pickup truck with Virginia Plate ULV3324 and is believed to have connections throughout New York including Niagara Falls, Ransomville, Cambria, Lewiston, and Lockport.
They were able to track him down several hours later and officers took him into custody safely.
"Even though the suspect fled the scene, they had enough information about him to be able to start throwing out a wide net for him," Restanio remarked.
The Falls mayor says the suspect remains in custody and is not sure when he would be transported back here to Niagara Falls.
EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story included Matthew Figura's booking photo. This image has since been removed in accordance with the 7 Eyewitness News mugshot policy.
7 Eyewitness News also reached out to the president of Niagara Metals for comment, but has not yet received a response.
The Wyoming County Sheriff's Office released information on the arrest of Figura Jr. Friday.
According to the sheriff's office, Figura Jr. allegedly attempted to steal a vehicle in the Town Sardinia in Erie County and WCSO patrols responded to the Towns of Java and Arcade due to the report. A sheriff's deputy located him attempting to exit the Erie County Forestry in his vehicle and followed him until back up units arrived. He was taken into custody without incident on Curriers Sardinia Road in the Town of Sardinia.
