BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo State College lost a 19-year-old pre-business major in a fatal stabbing on the grounds of the University at Buffalo campus.
19-year-old sophomore, Tyler Lewis from Baldwin, NY, was stabbed to death near the Ellicott Complex Residence Halls on the north campus of the University at Buffalo early Friday night, Oct. 14, 2022.
A student from University at Buffalo tells 7 News reporter Yoselin Person that he heard some commotion that day.
“I was going out with my friends, and we were walking after dinner and heard the incident but didn’t really see what happened."
Yoselin: So, you heard screams or you just heard..? Student: “We heard the car pulling up, and we heard a couple of guys arguing. That’s pretty much it.”
Other students say this fatal incident has been an eye-opener and wish more was done.
“It’s nerve-wrecking and upsetting that nothing is really happening, but at that point, it’s out of my control, and I just hope and pray,” Alivia Sibto, a sophomore at the University at Buffalo.
Another student questions the lack of information.
“I feel like it’s safe. I never had any incidents,” says Zahkari Adeyemi, a freshman at UB. “But this is random, like who he was, why. Why was he here? I feel like we should know more.”
The University Police say several witnesses have come forward and are making what they call “significant progress” in the investigation and believe Lewis was targeted.
Investigators say the attack was likely the result of a physical altercation among people who knew each other.
Police say they have a person of interest who’s described as a white male, 5’5 to 5’9, between the ages of 19 and 22, with light brown hair and multiple large cuts across his face and forehead.
Buffalo State College President Katherine Conway-Turner shared her condolences saying in a statement:
I am deeply saddened to share with you that Buffalo State College student Tyler Lewis passed away Friday evening. A native of Baldwin, New York, Tyler was a 19-year-old sophomore pre-business administration major.
College officials were informed that Tyler was fatally stabbed on the University at Buffalo’s North Campus. He was transported to ECMC where he succumbed to his injuries. University at Buffalo Police investigators have made significant progress in the investigation and believe this was a targeted act of violence, stressing there is no ongoing danger. Initial accounts provided by witnesses indicate this incident likely stemmed from a physical altercation between several individuals who most likely knew each other. University at Buffalo Police urge anyone with information to call them at (716) 645-2222.
Please know that staff members from our Counseling Center are available to assist and talk with students, faculty, and staff as we grieve the loss of a member of our Buffalo State family. The Student Affairs team is connecting with Tyler’s roommates and supporting his family during this difficult time.
The Counseling Center, which is located on the second floor of Weigel Health Center, can be reached by phone at (716) 878-4436. In addition, help is available 24 hours a day from Crisis Services at (716) 834-3131 and access to a 24-hour crisis text line; text: “GOT5” to 741741. Crisis Services text messages are confidential, anonymous and secure. A list of additional resources is available on the Weigel Health Center website - https://weigel.buffalostate.edu/resources [weigel.buffalostate.edu].
On behalf of the entire Buffalo State community, I express my heartfelt condolences to Tyler’s family and beloved friends. Our hearts ache for you during this difficult time.
