On a summer evening in Niagara Falls, New York, a dispute that began inside Wedge Liquors on Pine Avenue tragically escalated, leading to the death of 22-year-old Jason C. Chapman. The young man was fatally shot on July 12, 2022, in the parking lot of the liquor store, a place that would become the final scene of his life.
The events of that night unfolded as an argument that moved from indoors to the outside, where it took a violent and irreversible turn.
It was there that Michael Hamilton, a 38-year-old man from Niagara Falls, fired the shots that ended Chapman's life. The incident prompted an investigation by the Niagara Falls Police Department, which quickly identified Hamilton as the suspected shooter.
In the days following the shooting, Niagara Falls Police announced the arrest of Hamilton in connection with the homicide. He was subsequently charged for his role in the death of Jason Chapman. In November 2023, Michael Hamilton pleaded guilty to a charge of Manslaughter in the First Degree in Niagara County Court. With his plea, Hamilton admitted to the killing, facing a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison for the violent end to a senseless dispute.
