(WNY News Now) – A Buffalo man admitted responsibility in a fatal shooting during a botched burglary in the city’s Kensington neighborhood, bringing tragic closure to the February incident.
Buffalo, N.Y. – Levon Dickson, 50, of Buffalo, pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree (a Class “B” violent felony) for fatally shooting 60-year-old Mitchell Reese during an attempted residential burglary. Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announced the guilty plea in State Supreme Court before Justice M. William Boller.
The shooting occurred on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, around 6:30 p.m., when Buffalo Police responded to a report of gunfire on the 300 block of Warwick Avenue. Officers found Reese with a gunshot wound on the porch of his residence, where he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators determined that Dickson was attempting to break into the home when he fired the fatal shot using an illegal firearm. The crime unfolded quickly, leaving Reese dead in what authorities described as a senseless act of violence during a failed burglary attempt.
Dickson faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. He remains held without bail pending his sentencing.
Acting District Attorney Keane praised the work of Buffalo Police Detectives Jennifer Zanghi, Christopher Sterlace, and Joseph Ruggierio for their efforts in solving the case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant District Attorney Justin H. Caldwell of the Homicide Bureau and Chief Noha A. Elnakib of the Raise the Age/Motor Vehicle Theft Insurance Fraud Unit.