In the early hours of a September morning in 2017, tragedy struck in Buffalo, New York, forever altering the lives of several families. Deion Brown, a 23-year-old male, was fatally shot near the intersection of Potomac and Parkdale Avenues in what would later be described as a senseless act of violence. The events of that night began to unfold when Tong Rieang, then 25, committed an armed robbery against two individuals.
In the course of the robbery, Rieang also shot and wounded another person.
Immediately following the initial confrontation, Rieang crossed the street and encountered Deion Brown. It was there that he fired the fatal shots with a semi-automatic pistol, ending Brown's life. The Buffalo Police Department's Homicide Squad launched an investigation that ultimately led to Rieang's capture and prosecution.
A jury found Tong Rieang guilty of a litany of charges, including second-degree murder for the death of Deion Brown, as well as attempted murder and robbery for his other actions that night. In February 2019, an Erie County Court judge sentenced Rieang to the maximum penalty of 50 years to life in prison. At the sentencing, the judge characterized Rieang as a 'cold-blooded murderer' and a threat to the community.
