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What’s Next?

Where Did the Money Go? Part 2: Where Did (Or Didn’t) It Go?

By I'Jaz Ja'ciel
Published June 1, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT
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Red and black image with text reading "What's Next? Anniversary Special: WHERE DID THE MONEY GO? $92,896,293.56 PART II: WHERE DID (OR DIDN'T) IT GO?"

Part two of What’s Next?’s three-part anniversary series examining the aftermath of the May 14 Tops mass shooting focuses on the distribution and impact of millions of dollars raised to support Buffalo’s East Side. The episode explores questions surrounding transparency, accountability, and long-term community investment while examining how funding was distributed to recovery efforts in the years following the tragedy. Survivors and community members also reflect on the ongoing challenges of accessing promised mental health and financial support.

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I'Jaz Ja'ciel
I'Jaz Ja'ciel is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning investigative reporter and a Buffalo, N.Y. native. She re-joined the Buffalo Toronto Public Media NPR newsroom in February 2026, having begun her journalism career at BTPM NPR in 2019 as a weekend anchor. Ja'ciel later reported for Spectrum News 1 Buffalo and Investigative Post before her return to public media.
See stories by I'Jaz Ja'ciel
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