In the early morning hours of November 3, 2017, a dispute on a Buffalo street escalated to a fatal conclusion, ending the life of 37-year-old Saleem Merukeb. The male victim was on Allen Street near Delaware Avenue at approximately 1:30 a.m. when an altercation broke out. The argument, which occurred in the street in front of a local bar, Frizzy's, though unrelated to the establishment itself, turned into a physical fight.
The other man involved in the confrontation, identified as
30-year-old Jeremy Wright, reportedly left the scene following the fistfight. He returned shortly after with a gun and shot Merukeb multiple times as he was running away. Merukeb, a father of two, was pronounced dead at Buffalo General Hospital. His father later described his son as having an aggressive personality but said he had been trying to walk away from the fight and was attempting to turn his life around.
Buffalo Police utilized the city's safe camera program, and surveillance footage was key in leading to the arrest of Jeremy Wright. He was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder. Wright was arraigned in Buffalo City Court and held without bail. In June 2018, Wright, who was a second felony offender, pleaded guilty to one count of Murder in the Second Degree. Following his plea, Jeremy Wright was sentenced to an indeterminate sentence of 20 years to life in prison for the killing of Saleem Merukeb.
