Ramone Carter was playing outside with his 7-year-old sister during a family gathering when the two were struck by gunfire, officials said.
Buffalo Police
Ramone Carter
Just a few weeks before his fourth birthday, a Buffalo, N.Y., boy was fatally shot while riding his tricycle outside on a hot summer evening, authorities said.
The 3-year-old boy was playing outside with his 7-year-old sister during a family gathering when the two were struck by gunfire around 9:30 p.m. on Friday, June 21, Mayor of Buffalo. Byron Brown said at a news conference along with Buffalo police officials on Saturday, June 22.
The boy, later identified by police as Ramone Carter, was taken by officers to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Buffalo Police Chief Joseph A. Gramalia said. He added that the boy’s older sister was also taken to a hospital. She was grazed by a bullet and is expected to survive.
“I’m heartbroken by what happened and I think we’re all tired of standing up and announcing these types of situations to the community,” Mayor Brown said. He added that the shooting was not related to the family gathering.
Gramalia said two persons of interest were quickly detained and questioned by police but were eventually released. He added that investigators also recovered a weapon, which is being tested, and that he does not believe the children were targeted in any way.
“There is no way they were the target of this,” Gramalia told reporters. “We will try to determine the motives of the shots or the shooters and what their motive was.”
Martina Carter, Ramone’s oldest sister, told WKBW-TV that her brother was an “amazing kid” and called his death “devastating.”
“I never thought that a three-year-old baby playing outside at a graduation party… would be shot and killed,” she told the station.
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According to Mayor Brown, Ramone’s mother is active in the community and has worked to keep other families and children safe as a member of the Most Valuable Parents organization. Now she’s dealing with her own tragedy.
“The weapons must be put down,” the mayor said. “There is no reason why all these illegal weapons are on the streets.”
Although no arrests have been made, authorities are offering a $7,500 reward for information leading to the arrest or indictment of those involved in Ramone’s murder. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers WNY at (716)-867-6161.
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