Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office announced this weekend that the state would provide an additional $1 million to law enforcement agencies and community organizations in Niagara and Erie counties, following shootings over the Fourth of July weekend that left two dead.
“One act of gun violence is one too many, and I remain committed to strengthening efforts to make the Western New York Community safer for all,” Hochul said in a statement.
The two Niagara Falls victims, Jayla Brown, 19, and Jalin Rios, 22, were killed in separate shootings the early morning of July 5, Brown at the Highland and Fairfield intersection and Rios near the former Bakery lounge on Niagara Street. City Code Enforcement officers posted a cease and desist notice at the bar’s entrance door in the days after the shooting.
Buffalo had six separate shootings over that same weekend, injuring 11 people, none of which were life-threatening. The gunfire stemmed from a Street Takeover party that started around East Delavan Avenue and Grider Street and grew out of control. The victims’ ages ranged from 13 to 51.
For Niagara County, $150,000 will go toward the county’s and Niagara Falls’ GIVE efforts and $200,000 to Buffalo and Niagara Falls’ SNUG Street Outreach programs, with Community Missions of the Niagara Frontier getting $100,000. The remaining $650,000 went toward Erie County and Buffalo GIVE efforts, Project RISE, and Buffalo’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
The state Division of Criminal Justice Services administers GIVE program funding, which provides support to law enforcement in 21 counties to reduce shootings and gun-related homicides; SNUG, a community-based initiative that uses a public health approach to reduce and prevent shootings; and RISE, which helps reduce gun violence, strength communicates disproportionally impacted, and keep young people out of the justice system. These programs have already received $13.8 million in state funding, with the governor investing $4 billion across several programs in her time in office that had seen historic reductions in gun violence.
“Every community deserves the resources needed to prevent violence and respond quickly when challenges arise,” said state Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said. “This funding will strengthen partnerships in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, helping law enforcement and community organizations expand proven efforts to reduce violence, create opportunities for young people, and improve public safety.”
Niagara Falls had no gun-involved homicides throughout 2025 and only one in 2024. The Niagara Falls police have also seized 11 illegal firearms as part of their investigation into these homicides and a shooting that happened after the Niagara Falls High School prom.
“We need to improve the social safety network and build family supports so that people understand that the use of a firearm is never a solution,” said Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino. “Governor Hochul understands this, and the funding being provided to our city for these various support programs reflects her commitment to help us eradicate the scourge of gun violence, and hopefully some much-needed healing for everyone impacted by these recent tragedies.”