BUFFALO, N.Y. — The man accused of shooting two men last month appeared in court for his arraignment on Friday morning.
Dale O. Cummings, 31, is facing four charges in connection with the death of Babul Meah and Abu Yousef. The two men were shot and killed April 27 by someone who police say was squatting in a home on Zenner Street.
Cummings plead not guilty to the following charges in court Friday:
- One count Murder in the 1st Degree
- Two counts Murder in the 2nd Degree
- One count Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd degree
- One count Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 3rd degree
According to Buffalo Police, Meah and Yousuf were allegedly shot Saturday afternoon by a squatter who was living in a home on Zenner Street. The house was being sold and both men, members of Buffalo's Bangladeshi community, had been contracted to do some work on it.
Instead, they were shot and killed, and unknowingly to police, the gunman had escaped.
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said last month Cummings was later arrested after being identified from convenience store surveillance footage that had been released to the public. Police had used a receipt found in the home on Zenner Street to find the footage.
When asked how a homeless individual was allegedly able to obtain such a weapon, Commissioner Gramaglia said police have some information about that but he did not elaborate.
"We've never had a level of violence we've never had anything like this that I am aware of. I think this case is truly, I'll call it an anomaly, that something like this happened. You don't hear things like this," said Gramaglia.
Mayor Byron Brown called the shooting "vicious" and "cold-blooded" during the Monday press conference. He added that both victims were fathers, one with two children and a third on the way, the other victim was a father of seven.
Commissioner Gramaglia said the shooting was random and is not being considered a hate crime.
Cummings was remanded to jail with no bail. The next court date is scheduled for June 27.
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