(WNY News Now) – CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — A Cheektowaga man has been indicted on a second-degree murder charge in connection with a fatal shooting that stemmed from a neighborhood parking dispute, Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announced.
Richard J. Walls, 44, was arraigned before State Supreme Court Justice M. William Boller on one count of Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A-I felony.
Authorities allege that on October 12, 2024, at approximately 5:00 p.m., Cheektowaga Police responded to a reported shooting on the 100 block of Cedar Road. Officers attempted life-saving measures before the victim, identified as 20-year-old Md Rawnaq Hassan Ratin, was transported to Erie County Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
According to prosecutors, Walls is accused of intentionally shooting Ratin in the chest with a handgun during a dispute over parking.
Walls was remanded without bail. A future court date has not been set. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
DA Keane acknowledged the investigative efforts of Cheektowaga Police Lieutenant Justin Haag and Buffalo Police Detective Christopher Schafer. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Justin H. Caldwell of the Homicide Bureau.
Walls is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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