Buffalo man charged in shooting that left one person dead and two injured

Courtesy: Erie County District Attorney’s Office

BUFFALO, NY (WIVB) — A Buffalo man was arraigned Monday on charges he killed one victim and wounded two others in a July 2023 shooting in the Willert Park neighborhood, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office said.

Ernest Brown, 41, was charged with premeditated murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in a sealed indictment.

On July 22, 2023, at approximately 3 a.m., Buffalo Police responded to a reported shooting on Genesee Street near Mortimer Street, where three people were found shot outside a tavern, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Officials said a 33-year-old man and a 44-year-old man were taken by ambulance to ECMC, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The third victim, 31-year-old Devin Lockwood, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutors said Brown and his co-defendant, 25-year-old Twandrell L. Dean of Buffalo, allegedly acted together to fire an illegal weapon to cause the victim’s death.

Dean was previously arrested on a warrant and was scheduled to stand trial on September 8, 2023, for second-degree premeditated murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

If convicted of the most serious charge, Brown and Dean face a maximum of 25 years to life in prison.

Brown is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on July 16 and was ordered held without bail. Dean has been in custody since his arraignment and is scheduled to appear in court again on August 7.