The samurai-sword wielding robber of a North Buffalo gas station/convenience store remains at large. Mayor Byron Brown says the investigation of the armed hold-up at Hertel and Colvin avenues early Tuesday is continuing.
Also, Brown says Homicide Detectives are still looking for a suspect in a deadly shooting near the Entertainment District. Police say 27-year-old James Henley died early Sunday after being shot in a parking lot near South Elmwood and Johnson Parkway.
Nearby residents say police presence in the area needs to be beefed up, and a city surveillance camera should be installed.
The mayor says it is unlikely the shooting was a random act of violence. He says he is not concerned people may be scared away from the city by the recent violence.
"A lot of the crime that we're having, while crime is down overall and we continue to see crime dropping, they are not, generally, random activities. Ninety-eight percent of the time, when we see a crime like that, it is because the individuals are known to each other," Brown said.
The robbery suspect is described as a 6' 4" black male, weighing around 300 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue hoodie and a bandana. Detectives are reviewing surveillance camera footage.
A 43-year-old Kenmore man who was struck in the head by the robber with the sword in the parking lot has been released from ECMC.
Anyone with information about the hold-up or the shooting is asked to call or text the BPD's Confidential Tipline at 847-2255.