Saleh Mohamed faces first- and second-degree murder charges after killings in Buffalo and Cheektowaga.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — An Erie County grand jury has indicted a Cheektowaga man in the deaths of his wife, two small children and a store clerk, moving a four-victim homicide case into State Supreme Court.
Saleh Q. Mohamed, 29, was arraigned June 15 before Justice Deborah A. Haendiges on three counts of first-degree murder and four counts of second-degree murder. The indictment accuses Mohamed of intentionally causing the deaths of 26-year-old Aaisha Abdulla, two boys ages 4 and 3, and 43-year-old Shukri Muthana on June 1. He remains held without bail. Prosecutors said he faces life in prison without parole if convicted of the most serious charges.
The district attorney’s announcement placed the latest public focus on the court file, not the crime scenes. Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane said Mohamed is accused of killing Abdulla and the two children at a home on Ellen Drive in Cheektowaga after a separate shooting at a Buffalo store. Prosecutors said Buffalo police responded first, at about 2:38 p.m., to a store on the 1000 block of Grant Street near Military Road. Muthana, a Lackawanna resident, died at the scene. Cheektowaga officers then went to the Ellen Drive residence at about 3:30 p.m. and found the three family members dead inside.
The charges came in layers. Late June 1, Mohamed was arraigned in Cheektowaga Town Court before Justice John J. Wanat on one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder tied to the family deaths. The next afternoon, he was arraigned in Buffalo City Court before Judge Erin Hart on one count of second-degree murder tied to Muthana’s death. Prosecutors said then that additional charges might follow. The grand jury later returned an indictment that included three first-degree murder counts and four second-degree murder counts. That filing replaced the separate local-court posture with a unified felony case in a higher court.
Keane described the two scenes as part of one alleged course of conduct. “They’re definitely connected,” he said. “The defendant committed both incidents. He’s been charged with murder in both cases.” Police and prosecutors have not released a motive. They have said Mohamed and the four victims were from the same Yemeni community, but officials have not explained what relationship, if any, existed between Mohamed and Muthana. The public record also has not described any known dispute before the store shooting, any statement by Mohamed after his arrest or any evidence of planning.
The family killings were discovered during a welfare check. Cheektowaga Police Chief Brian Coons said officers went to the home and found no one answering. “No one was answering the door at the house,” Coons said. “He arrived shortly thereafter.” Police said Mohamed returned to the home while officers were there and was taken into custody. The district attorney’s office said Abdulla and the children were dead inside. Local reporting later identified the boys as Youssef and Saif, while prosecutors publicly listed them by age. Investigators have not released a detailed account of where the victims were found inside the home.
Authorities said a permitted 9 mm handgun is part of the case. Keane said Mohamed had a firearm permit and that the weapon listed was a 9 mm pistol. “He does have a permit,” Keane said. The public statements did not say where police recovered the gun, whether it was recovered from Mohamed, the home, a vehicle or another place, or whether final ballistic comparisons had been completed. Coons said his department had not been called to the residence before. “This was our first time dealing with them,” he said. Prosecutors have not announced any prior criminal history for Mohamed.
The case drew visible emotion at the courthouse. During a June 5 appearance, Mohamed was brought in under heavy security as the matter was shifted toward higher court after grand jury action was referenced. A man in the courtroom shouted as Mohamed came before the judge and was removed by court officers. The disruption reflected the anger and shock surrounding the deaths, especially the killings of two small children. The case also drew statements from community members who described grief and confusion. Dr. Khalid Qazi of the Muslim Public Affairs Council called the deaths an “unbelievably sad occasion” and said people were struggling to understand what happened.
The indictment named several prosecutors and police agencies involved in the case. Assistant District Attorney Justin H. Caldwell and Assistant District Attorney Frank A. Strano of the Homicide Bureau are prosecuting it with assistance from Deputy District Attorney Eugene T. Partridge III. The district attorney’s office commended Cheektowaga police investigators, Buffalo police and specific law enforcement personnel for their work. That public credit signaled that the case relies on evidence from both jurisdictions. It also showed that the prosecution will have to present a connected account of events in two places, about an hour apart, with four victims and two different police responses.
Several important facts remain outside the public record. Officials have not said who made the 911 call that sent officers to Ellen Drive or why the caller was worried. They have not released video from the store, a 911 recording, autopsy details or a full evidence list. They also have not said whether Mohamed spoke to police after being detained. The indictment states the charges, but indictments do not reveal all of the proof prosecutors may use. Defense filings, pretrial motions and hearings could determine what evidence is admitted, whether statements were taken lawfully and how the two scenes are tried together.
Mohamed is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial conference on July 8, 2026, at 2 p.m. Until then, he remains held without bail under the indictment. The next hearing is expected to set the pace for motions and further proceedings.
Author note: Last updated July 6, 2026.