Two Buffalo teenagers have been convicted in a shooting last year that left a 3-year-old boy dead and his 7-year-old sister wounded.
It happened on Domedion Avenue in June 2024. Prosecutors say prior to the shooting, the defendants had approached a group of young males and fired shots toward them, striking the victims in the process. But their gunshots also struck two young children playing nearby.
Ramone "Red" Carter, died of his gunshot wounds while his sister was grazed b a bullet.
An Erie County Court jury on Wednesday found the defendants, ages 16 and 17, guilty of numerous charges. At the time of the incident, they were 14 and 16, respectively. Their names were not released by the Erie County District Attorney’s Office due to their ages.
“The 14-year-old was convicted of attempted murder in the second degree. He was convicted of murder in the second degree. He was convicted of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and he was convicted of assault in the second degree,” said District Attorney Michael Keane following events in court. “The 16-year-old was convicted of manslaughter in the first degree and assault in the second degree.”
The young children were not the intended targets. Police apprehended the two teenagers near the scene of the crime and found one to be in possession of an illegal handgun.
Both teens are being held without bail and will be sentenced January 20, 2026.
“I know that this is an important case for this community. It's also a horrific tragedy for this family,” Keane said. “This family is still grieving, but at least this part of the case, there's some satisfaction, and we have delivered some level of justice in this case for them.”
Prosecutors intend to seek the maximum penalties allowable by law. For the younger defendant, Keane explained, the maximum would be 15 years to life in prison, while the older defendant could face anywhere from five years to 25 years incarcerated. They would first serve time in a youth facility, until moving into n adult facility after turning 18.