In the spring of 2017, a dispute following a youth basketball game in a Buffalo suburb escalated to a fatal encounter, claiming the life of 54-year-old Robert Echols. The male victim was shot and killed on April 29, 2017, after an argument that began inside the Niagara Frontier Sports Complex in West Seneca.
The altercation started in the lobby of the sports complex between Echols and another man, identified as Andre Lewis.
The verbal disagreement spilled outside, where it is reported that Echols punched Lewis while Lewis was holding his young daughter. In response, Lewis drew a licensed handgun and shot Echols twice. Emergency services were called, but Echols succumbed to his injuries.
Following an investigation into the shooting, Andre Lewis was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. The case against him went to trial on two separate occasions, but both ended in a hung jury, with the jurors unable to reach a unanimous verdict. After the two mistrials, Lewis ultimately pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. As a result of his plea, he was sentenced to five years in prison, which would be followed by five years of post-release supervision.
