In the early hours of a Tuesday morning in Buffalo, New York, the life of 46-year-old Madjid Elbert was tragically cut short. On May 7, 2024, at approximately 1:15 a.m., police responded to a call of a shooting at the Del Denby Tavern on Hertel Avenue. There they found Elbert, a male chef, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to Erie County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Initial police reports suggested that Elbert and his assailant knew each other.
However, as the investigation unfolded, a different story emerged from surveillance footage. Elbert had arrived at the tavern around 9:30 p.m. to watch a basketball game. The man who would later be identified as his killer, 27-year-old William Quinones, arrived three hours later. The two men sat at opposite ends of the bar and did not appear to interact until they both stepped outside. A brief altercation occurred on the tavern's front patio, which ended with Quinones fatally shooting Elbert.
Following the incident, the Buffalo Police Department launched a homicide investigation. The Del Denby Tavern was ordered to close temporarily to preserve 'peace and good order,' as it had a history of prior disturbances, including another shooting in 2021. Meanwhile, Elbert's grieving family described him as a talented chef who had worked in various restaurants in Western New York and dreamed of one day owning his own food truck. They made a public plea for justice and for the suspect to turn himself in.
The investigation led to the identification of William Quinones as the suspect, and an indictment warrant was issued for his arrest. Quinones was subsequently taken into custody and arraigned on charges of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. In June 2024, he was indicted by a grand jury. After a three-day, non-jury trial in April 2025, a judge found Quinones guilty of the lesser charge of Manslaughter in the First Degree, as well as Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. On May 22, 2025, William Quinones was sentenced to 20 years in prison, to be followed by five years of post-release supervision.
