LOCKPORT — A Falls man is preparing to stand trial in a case that focuses on what investigators have called a “drug deal gone bad” and the death of a teenager.
Niagara County prosecutors and defense attorneys for Luke Vaccarella finished picking a jury Tuesday that will begin hearing evidence in his case on Monday. Vaccarella, 41, is charged with a single count of first-degree assault.
If he is convicted on that charge, he faces a possible sentence of between 5 to 15 years behind bars.
The charge against Vaccarella stems from an April 23, 2023, shooting on Ashland Avenue that left a 16-year-old Falls teen dead.
Falls Police patrol officers responded to a call of a shooting in the 1300 block of Ashland Avenue at around 11:30 a.m. and found two people suffering from gunshot wounds. The arriving patrol officers said they found Vaccarella with a gunshot wound to his leg.
They also found Nakhii Williams, 16, who had been shot three times in his lower abdomen.
Both victims were transported to Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center (NFMMC) for treatment of their wounds. Vaccarella was then transferred to Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) and later released.
After treatment at NFMMC, Williams was listed in critical condition and was transferred to the trauma unit at ECMC.
Williams was pronounced dead from his wounds the next day.
At the time of the time of the shooting, investigators said they had recovered a handgun that they believe was used in the incident. Crime Scene Unit detectives also said they recovered spent shell casings at the scene.
Detectives said later that the weapon “belonged to Williams.”
Vaccarella reportedly told investigators that he was attempting to buy drugs from Williams when an argument erupted and the teen shot him. After being shot, Vaccarella reportedly said that he had wrestled the handgun away from Williams and shot him in an act of self-defense.
Police and prosecutors have described the case as “complex”, pointing to Vaccarella’s claims of self-defense.