Buffalo billboard seeks help in solving May homicide

A new effort is underway to help solve homicides in the city of Buffalo.

A billboard at Michigan Avenue and Cherry Street advertises a reward and hotline people can call to provide information that could lead to an arrest in the May 4 shooting near Jefferson Avenue and Alexander Place.

The shooting left one person dead, Jazzmine Fomby, 14, and five others injured.

“Today, we are calling on the public to help us solve unsolved homicides, including the recent fatal shooting of Jazzmine Fomby,” Mayor Byron Brown said in a statement. “We hope that when people look at this first in a series of billboards and see Jazzmine, they will also pick up their phones and pass along information to help move forward or solve this crime. I want to thank Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia and the Buffalo Police Department for their continued compassion and determination, and for working with the family members of homicide victims as they continue to seek answers in their quest for justice.”

The city also released video statements from Fomby’s family members in an effort to encourage potential witnesses to come forward.