Man Who Set Car on Fire on Elmwood Avenue Later Shot and Killed on Potomac Avenue, Police Say!
Buffalo, N.Y. – A man who set fire to a vehicle on Elmwood Avenue was shot and killed just minutes later on Potomac Avenue, according to Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
In a press statement on Friday, Gramaglia confirmed that the fatal shooting, which occurred shortly after the car fire, was targeted. “I think the entire event was targeted,” Gramaglia told reporters.
No arrests have been made yet, and the identity of the deceased man has not been publicly released.
Buffalo Police have gathered evidence from nearby security cameras, which Gramaglia said is helping detectives make progress in their investigation.
The series of events began when the suspect, who later became the victim, was seen setting fire to a car parked in front of an apartment building on Elmwood Avenue.
Mark DeGolyer, a resident near the scene, recounted witnessing the suspicious activity.
“I saw this guy walking up to a vehicle, and we made eye contact. He smiled. I thought it was DoorDash,” DeGolyer said. “I saw him drop something in the vehicle, and then I got a text from my husband saying, ‘The car’s on fire.’”
Just minutes after the car fire, shots rang out around the corner on Potomac Avenue.
Another neighbor, John Cromwell, who was walking his dog at the time, initially mistook the gunfire for construction noise. “I was in the back of my house and associated it with the construction on the corner,” Cromwell shared.
Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene, but despite efforts by neighbors to save the victim, including chest compressions, there was nothing that could be done.
One neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, told reporters off-camera that she held the man’s hand in his final moments, trying to comfort him before help arrived.
The Elmwood Village community is still processing the shock of the incident. “It’s freaked me out,” DeGolyer admitted. “I’ve been here for a couple of years, and this is kind of my dream neighborhood.”
Cromwell echoed these sentiments, adding, “There’s more that goes on here than meets the eye. This isn’t the country.”
Police are continuing to investigate both the car fire and the shooting as linked incidents.
While no further information about potential suspects has been released, authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.