BUFFALO, N.Y. — Two days after 16-year-old Emily Keiper of Niagara Falls was shot and killed on Elmer Avenue in Buffalo, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn and Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia formally announced two teenagers, ages 14 and 17, are facing felony charges - including 2nd-degree murder and attempted robbery.
Police say this tragedy was the result of a drug deal gone bad.
"It is just sad that someone loses their life over marijuana, which is now legal in our state and it is a tragedy," Flynn said during a press conference on Monday.
And while the loss of life is the ultimate tragedy, community leaders, including Bishop Perry Davis with 'Stop The Violence Foundation' says unfortunate stories like this, especially involving minors, are tragedies all the way around.
"Three of our children are gone. One way or another," Davis shares. "These are babies, we're talking about somebody that's in their 40s and 50s that knows better. These kids don't even know what they're doing."
For decades Davis has dedicated his life's work to working with others in this community to create promising opportunities for kids. Opportunities that keep them off the street and working towards a brighter future.
Davis tells 2 On Your Side's Liz Lewin, "What hurts me the most is, you know, everybody brushes it under the carpet. Like it's, it's just a number. They're just numbers. Like they're just a statistic. These are children we are talking about."
Despite ongoing efforts to boost youth employment and create more opportunities for young people across Western New York, Davis stresses that news of Friday's homicide and other recent gun-related activity in the area is proof that while the work of anti-violence organizations, like his, has helped - even more help and resources are needed.
"It's a lot of moving parts to all this. But the point is, these kids are way too young to be involved in something like this,' Davis says. "The politicians are not paying real attention to what's really needed - enough talk and fighting, let's go ahead and do something for these kids. This is ridiculous."