(WNY News Now) – BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Buffalo man has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in connection with the fatal shooting of his brother, just as jury selection was set to begin in his trial.
According to Michael J. Keane, Jerome A. Cole, 28, entered a guilty plea Monday afternoon before Suzanne Maxwell Barnes to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony. The plea was made to a lesser included offense of the top charge in the indictment.
Photo By Erie County DA’s Office
Prosecutors said the incident occurred in the early morning hours of July 11, 2022. At approximately 1:30 a.m., Cole shot his 35-year-old brother, Marcus Cole, at the victim’s residence on Thatcher Avenue in the City of Buffalo. Authorities said the weapon used in the shooting was illegal.
Marcus Cole was transported by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.
Jerome Cole now faces a maximum sentence of up to 25 years in state prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., and remains held without bail.
District Attorney Keane credited the Buffalo Police Department for their investigation into the case.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant District Attorney Frank A. Strano of the Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Rebecca A. Fioravanti of the Special Victims Unit, with assistance from Chief Rebecca L. Schnirel of the Felony Trials Bureau.
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