On New Year's Day in 2017, a life was tragically cut short in Buffalo, New York. Xavier Wimes, a 22-year-old male, was shot and killed in the early hours of the morning, a violent end to a New Year's Eve celebration. The incident was the culmination of a dispute that began at a party attended by members of the CBL/BFL street gang.
The altercation that led to Wimes's death reportedly stemmed from a social media feud.
At the party, held in the Towne Gardens apartment complex, Wimes confronted Dalvon Curry, a fellow gang member. The confrontation escalated, and Wimes struck Curry in the head with a bottle. In retaliation, several gang members, including Larell Watkins, attacked Wimes, punching and kicking him before forcing him into an apartment.
In an attempt to escape his assailants, Wimes jumped from a window, fracturing his ankle in the process. His escape was short-lived. In a nearby parking lot, Dalvon Curry shot and killed him. The investigation that followed led to a sweeping indictment against 12 members and associates of the CBL/BFL gang on charges including racketeering, narcotics conspiracy, and firearm possession.
Dalvon Curry was charged with two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, one for the death of Xavier Wimes and another for the 2015 killing of a rival gang member. Larell Watkins was also charged with murder in aid of racketeering for providing Curry with the firearm used to kill Wimes. In February 2020, a federal jury found Dalvon Curry guilty of the murder of Xavier Wimes. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. Larell Watkins pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and was sentenced to 19 years in prison for his role in the events leading to Wimes's death. Another individual, Shanna Smith, Curry's cousin, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for making false declarations to a federal grand jury regarding Curry's involvement in the murder.
