BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Police Department said a woman has died following a shooting on the morning of Oct. 5.
The shooting happened just after 8:30 a.m. near Shawnee Avenue and Richlawn Avenue. Police said the woman, identified Thursday as 40-year-old Keaira Bennefield of Cheektowaga, was shot while sitting inside a vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Wednesday night, Buffalo Police named Adam Bennefield a person of interest in connection to the shooting. Police said the Homicide Unit is attempting to locate Bennefield for questioning.
Bennefield, 45, is listed as 5 feet, 11 inches tall and 160 pounds. Police say he could be armed and dangerous.
On Thursday, Cheektowaga Police and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Adam Bennefield was arrested Tuesday and charged with a domestic violence incident from last week, then released because the charges didn’t qualify for bail.
Buffalo Police also confirmed that Bennefield, who is now wanted in connection with the homicide of 40-year-old Keaira Bennefield, served a 15-year prison sentence and was released in 2015. Then on Sept. 28 of this year, Bennefield is accused of assaulting Keaira Bennefield at their home in Cheektowaga, making it so she couldn’t escape or call for help.
He was arrested Tuesday and released, and Wednesday morning Keaira Bennefield was found dead in her car in Buffalo.
The Buffalo Police commissioner, Joseph Gramaglia, described what happened as officers tracked down the car they think the person who shot her was in.
“Vehicle left that scene. Police officers made an attempt to stop that vehicle. That vehicle had refused to pull over for our officers. It was a heavily congested area, traffic area, the vehicle from the information I have got on the 33 Expressway going in the wrong direction. Due to a lot of reasons, the officers lost sight of the vehicle. They were able to evade. A very short time later, the officers located the vehicle and located evidence inside of that vehicle,” Gramaglia said.
WNY Crime Stoppers has offered a $7,500 reward for information leading to Bennefield's arrest. The number to call for that is (716) 867-6161.
You can also call or text the Buffalo Police Department's Confidential TIPCALL Line at (716) 847-2255.