Prosecutors say Saleh Mohamed faces first- and second-degree murder charges in two connected shootings.
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — A Cheektowaga man was charged Tuesday after prosecutors said his wife, two young sons and a Buffalo store clerk were shot and killed Monday in cases investigators believe are connected.
Saleh Mohamed, 29, is charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office said. He is being held without bail and faces life in prison without parole if convicted of the top count.
Authorities said the first shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. Monday at a store on the 1000 block of Grant Street near Military Road in Buffalo. A 43-year-old man was shot in the chest and died at the scene. About an hour later, officers responding to a welfare check found Mohamed’s wife and two sons, ages 4 and 3, dead inside a home on Ellen Drive in Cheektowaga.
Officials said Mohamed was taken into custody without incident after he returned to the Ellen Drive scene. Police have not released the victims’ names while relatives are notified. Investigators also have not said whether Mohamed knew the store clerk. Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane said the cases are tied to the same defendant. “They’re definitely connected,” Keane said.
Buffalo Police Chief of Detectives Joseph Langdon said the scenes were difficult for investigators, especially because children were killed. “It’s never a good scene to have to walk into with the loss of life, especially when it’s children,” Langdon said. Police said the investigation remains active and that additional charges may be filed.
Mohamed is scheduled to return Friday morning to both Cheektowaga Town Court and Buffalo City Court for felony hearings. Prosecutors said they are still reviewing what happened before the shootings and whether any other legal counts will be added.
On Ellen Drive, police blocked part of the residential street Monday evening as investigators worked inside and around the home. A neighbor told local reporters the area is usually quiet and said she had not seen anything like it there before.
As of Wednesday, Mohamed remained jailed without bail, and officials said the next court hearings are set for Friday, June 5.
Author note: Last updated June 3, 2026.