Two teenagers have been sentenced for their roles in a shooting that killed a 3-year-old boy and injured his sister as they played outside in Buffalo’s Schiller Park neighborhood last summer.

Jahaan Taylor, 16, of Buffalo, received a sentence of 15 years to life in state prison, the maximum allowed for a juvenile offender. Elijah Mumford, 17, of Buffalo, was sentenced to 15 years in state prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.

The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. on June 21, 2024, on Domedion Avenue near Genesee Street. Ramone “Red” Carter, 3, was shot in the back while playing outside. He was transported in a police patrol vehicle to ECMC, where he died. His 7-year-old sister was grazed by a bullet and treated for a back injury at Oishei Children’s Hospital.

Buffalo Police arrested the two suspects minutes after the shooting, finding them a few blocks from the scene wearing clothes and shoes matching witness descriptions. Police recovered an illegal handgun from one of the teens at the time of arrest.

The defendants had approached a group of young males before the shooting. Taylor fired shots from an illegal gun toward the group, and the two children were struck by gunfire. Evidence showed two guns were used in the crime, but the second weapon was not recovered.

After a four-day trial in October 2025, a jury deliberated approximately five hours before convicting Taylor of murder in the second degree, attempted murder in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and assault in the second degree. He was sentenced by Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan in the Youth Part of Superior Court.

Mumford was convicted of manslaughter in the first degree and assault in the second degree, though the assault charge was later dismissed following a defense motion. He was denied youthful offender status.

“Ramone ‘Red’ Carter was an innocent victim of gun violence perpetrated by two teenagers in possession of illegal firearms,” Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane said. “I commend the surviving victim for her courageous actions on the day of this crime and bravely testifying before a jury. I also want to acknowledge the responding officers who rendered immediate aid to ‘Red’ and those who swiftly apprehended the suspects moments after the shooting.”