In the early hours of a Sunday morning in Buffalo, New York, a young life was tragically cut short, leaving a family and a community searching for answers that have remained elusive for years. Excell Cooley, a 23-year-old African-American male, was fatally shot in the head on March 25, 2007. The incident occurred around 4 a.m. in the city's East Side neighborhood, a place he called home.
At the time of the shooting, Cooley was a passenger, seated in the backseat of a vehicle at 23 Southampton Street. It was there that an unknown assailant fired the fatal shot, ending his life and marking the beginning of a long and frustrating cold case for the Buffalo Police Department. In the immediate aftermath and the years that have followed, investigators have pursued leads and re-examined evidence, hoping for a breakthrough that would bring justice to Cooley and his grieving family.
Despite the passage of time and advancements in forensic technology, the case remains unsolved. No suspects have ever been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Excell Cooley. The Buffalo Police Department continues to classify the case as an open investigation, and Crime Stoppers has offered rewards for any information that might lead to an arrest. The community holds onto hope that one day, the person or persons responsible for this senseless act of violence will be brought to justice.
