In the early hours of New Year's Day 2019, the life of 27-year-old Frank Navaroli, a Black male, was tragically cut short in Buffalo, New York, marking him as the city's first homicide victim of the year. The night, which had begun with festivities at a New Year's party, ended in violence that left a family grieving and a community searching for answers.
The sequence of events leading to Navaroli's death began after he was shot on Pearl Street. Following the shooting, he was a passenger in a Chevrolet Malibu that subsequently crashed on Franklin Street, more than half a mile away, striking a fire hydrant, a parked car, and a light pole. When police arrived at the crash scene around 2:30 a.m., they found Navaroli inside the vehicle. The driver and another passenger had reportedly fled the scene before law enforcement's arrival.
In a distressing turn of events, Navaroli's family later filed a lawsuit alleging a "substantial and fatal delay" in the treatment of his gunshot wounds. Their legal action claimed that police, the ambulance crew, and hospital staff initially failed to recognize that he had been shot. The lawsuit stated that hospital records indicated "no obvious injuries" were found upon his initial examination. He was pronounced dead at the Erie County Medical Center hours after the incident.
Despite the passage of time, the case remains unsolved, and no arrests have been made in connection with Frank Navaroli's murder. In an effort to generate leads, Crime Stoppers has offered a reward of up to $7,500 for information that leads to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for his death. The investigation into who shot and killed Frank Navaroli continues, leaving his loved ones waiting for justice.
