A juvenile boy was shot in the back early Sunday morning on Wood Avenue in Buffalo, and police are still working to figure out who pulled the trigger. Officers were called to the 100 block of the street around 2:45 a.m. after reports of gunfire, and found the young victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the back.
According to News 4 Buffalo, the juvenile was transported to Erie County Medical Center, where his injuries were described as apparently non-life-threatening. Beyond that, few details have been released: his exact age, his condition, and any information about who may have shot him have not been made public.
Buffalo Police say the investigation remains ongoing, and no suspect description, arrest, or motive has been confirmed. It is not yet known whether the shooting was targeted or random, and investigators have not said whether it is connected to any other recent incident in the city.
Police Ask Public to Come Forward
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call or text 911, or to reach out to the Buffalo Police Department's confidential tip line at 716-847-2255. The same account notes that no further updates had been released as the investigation continued into the week.
The shooting comes as city officials have been touting progress in their broader fight against gun violence this year. Buffalo Police have seized 437 firearms since the start of 2026 and made more than 282 gun arrests, according to WKBW. The station also reported 71 shooting incidents citywide so far this year, which officials said is 46% below the city's previous 10-year average, with shooting homicides down 44% over a three-year average.
Separate Trends, Same City
Those figures are broad citywide statistics and do not establish any link to what happened on Wood Avenue. Police Commissioner Erika Shields has said roughly 7% to 10% of the illegal weapons recovered by officers this year are ghost guns, per the same WKBW report.
State officials have pointed to similar patterns beyond Buffalo. Through March 2026, the 28 police departments participating in New York's GIVE initiative collectively reported 81 shooting incidents involving injury, a 65% drop compared to 229 during the same stretch in 2021, according to a statement from Governor Hochul's office. Erie County's gun-violence prevention page directs residents to the GIVE Shooting Activity Dashboard for more localized, up-to-date figures.
Buffalo has seen other nonfatal shootings investigated and resolved in recent months. The Buffalo Police Department's Gun Violence Unit pointed to two shooting arrests within four days as evidence that separating nonfatal shooting investigations “shows something's working,” per the Buffalo News. In a separate case, a Buffalo man was arrested in connection with a nonfatal shooting that happened in September on Timon Street, News 4 Buffalo previously reported.
No such arrest has been announced in the Wood Avenue shooting. Police continue to ask that anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant information come forward as the investigation moves forward.
