2 years ago
Buffalo Police are investigating the deaths of a young couple found inside their North Buffalo home Sunday afternoon. Investigators say the couple's four-year-old son was inside the house at the time and likely witnessed the killing.
26-year-old Loren Hinkle and 25-year-old Dhanika McDaniel were found shot to death inside the woman's apartment at 348 Sanders Road in North Buffalo. Investigators say the four-year old told relatives over the phone about the shootings, and relatives notified police.
According to Buffalo Police spokesman Mike DeGeorge the female victim's mother tried to call the house a couple of times but nobody answered. "Finally at one point the little boy picked up the phone. I think it's fair to say at that time the relative knew probably something good had not happened and she notified 911."
"Obviously the young boy is a witness to all of this," said DeGeorge. "It would be traumatic for anyone. But we're dealing with a little four year old boy. It's a very traumatic situation."
"I can't imagine what the poor honey is going through. It's so unfair, so unfair, no matter what," said neighbor Anthony Sirianni.
Another neighbor, Michelle Speidel, said "it made me sick to my stomach to know that the poor baby was in the house, what he saw, being next to his mother and father laying there dead. I know he's going to be traumatized the rest of his life. I'm glad he was spared and I hope he can get everything that's coming to him for help. He's going to need it."
There's still no word on a motive, but investigators say the victims likely knew their killer or killers. Police also say one of the victims was known to them, but they would not say if it was the male or the female victim.
