On a warm evening in Buffalo, New York, family and friends gathered to celebrate Yvette Johnson's 54th birthday on July 2, 2018. The joyous occasion on Grape Street, however, turned into a scene of horror in the early moments of the following day. Shortly after midnight, gunfire erupted, shattering the peaceful celebration and the lives of those present. When the shooting stopped, 17-month-old Kyrie Johnson, a male infant, and his grandmother, Yvette, were fatally wounded.
Two other men who were on the porch with them sustained gunshot wounds to their legs but survived.
The senseless act of violence that claimed the lives of a toddler and his grandmother sent shockwaves through the community. An investigation was launched, and the Buffalo Police Homicide Squad worked diligently to bring the person responsible to justice. Their efforts, with assistance from the Niagara Falls Police Department, led to the arrest of Kenyatta Austin. The investigation pieced together the events of that tragic night, culminating in charges against Austin for the double homicide.
Kenyatta Austin stood trial for the murders of Kyrie and Yvette Johnson. Following a two-week bench trial, an Erie County Court Judge found the 27-year-old Buffalo resident guilty of two counts of intentional Murder in the Second Degree, two counts of Assault in the Second Degree, and one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. The court heard how Austin fired multiple shots into the group of people gathered outside the home, leading to the two deaths and two injuries. For his crimes, Austin was sentenced to the maximum of 64 years to life in prison. He was already serving a sentence for the 2017 killing of another man, with the sentences to be served concurrently.
