BUFFALO, NY – One day after making an arrest in a 7-month-old homicide case, Buffalo police confirm the suspect had been in jail since about 9 hours after the shooting.
They also revealed that Jaylin Wiggins, 18, had already been charged with another shooting that took place just an hour before the one for which he now stands accused of murder.
In the early morning hours of August 4, 2016 gunfire ran out at Sperry Park.
Three men were hit and one of them, 21 year old Leron Watkins was killed.
One hour before that, and just one mile away on Maple Street, another man was wounded by gunfire.
Wiggins has now been charged in connection with both shootings.
As the offenses mounted, the Erie County District Attorney’s office decided to approach a judge about getting Wiggins' prior bail revoked.
A hearing was set for the morning of August 4, at which time bail was revoked and Wiggins was remanded to custody.
Unbeknownst to police and prosecutors at the time, was that Wiggins would later emerge as a suspect in at least two shootings only hours before.
Watkins’ father, Larry, told WGRZ-TV he believes Wiggins knew he was going to be taken into custody and went on a “shooting rampage” to “settle the scores” he may have had with several individuals beforehand.
“He was a very violent member of our community unfortunately, who had committed another shooting and is being looked at for a few other things as well," said Lt. Jeff Rinaldo of the Buffalo Police Department.
“I’m not going to dwell on what should have taken place or what could have taken place,” said Larry Watkins, the father of Laron Watkins. “I’m just happy that detectives made good on their promise to bring someone to justice, and I hope this arrest leads to the arrests of others possibly involved.”