The New York State Police confirmed two looting incidents in Buffalo on Sunday following reports across social media of widespread looting in the city during the massive blizzard that struck over Christmas weekend.
Reports from local news outlet WGRZ indicate that there have been two confirmed incidents. One viewer reportedly sent the news station videos that seemed to depict local businesses with smashed-in windows.
“We have had two confirmed reports of looting incidents where law enforcement has been dispatched and responded,” New York State Police Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli explained. “Those are still under investigation as we speak. Those are isolated incidents, and it’s not reflective of the great community of Western New York, and I’m sure that they’ll be limited to those two incidents, or at least that’s our hope.”
In a press conference Monday morning, a reporter from WBEN asked what Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz had heard about looting and how the county was working to bring the situation under control.
“I have heard reports of that. There have been a few scattered reports,” Poloncarz answered, according to WGRZ. “I’m heartbroken about the deaths, just absolutely devastated to see this many deaths, and then to find out that there’s looting going on in the community at the same time they’re still recovering bodies is just horrible.”
He then asked Erie County Undersheriff William Cooley to address the looting. “It’s unfortunate that there’s some opportunistic criminals in our society,” Cooley told reporters. “And I don’t have specific details, but I know there was some burglaries that took place in Buffalo. And it’s my understanding in one instance Buffalo PD had made an arrest and perhaps even recovered a weapon.”
“But that being said, as the police are able to mobilize we will be responding to these situations much quicker than we were earlier in this storm,” Cooley added.
Various unconfirmed reports backed up with pictures and video have purported to show Buffalo businesses such as Walmart, Aaron’s, Dollar General and Family Dollar stores ransacked and looted, with bare shelves, broken doors and windows and alarms blaring. Some videos have apparently been posted by shoppers who livestreamed the looters in the act. (RELATED: Police Release Footage Of Mass Looting At 7-Eleven)
Looting out of family dollar in Buffalo 😑 pic.twitter.com/C28biqbrgO
— 😎 KoolKid JJ (@KoolKidJJ) December 25, 2022
#BuffaloLooting The Winter Storm #WinterStorm #Elliott #Buffalo #NewYork #BuffaloNY #NYC #WinterStorm pic.twitter.com/dMduutUAEc
— Harish Deshmukh (@DeshmukhHarish9) December 26, 2022
Some videos depict individuals opening fire on people who appear to be looters.
Store owners protecting their business
One begins firing toward the end of the video pic.twitter.com/L3iIqoGC1k— The Daily Sneed™🕗 (@Tr00peRR) December 26, 2022
Another video shows looters being apprehended by Buffalo PD.
Buffalo police are arresting looters… pic.twitter.com/CAVcHAgUOF
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) December 26, 2022
Buffalo police did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.