Buffalo police said the child was taken to Golisano Children’s Hospital after a Sunday afternoon shooting.
BUFFALO, NY — A 4-year-old child was shot Sunday afternoon on Bailey Avenue in Buffalo and taken to Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, where police said the child was expected to survive.
The shooting brought officers, detectives and child welfare officials to a section of Bailey Avenue between Walden Avenue and Hazel Place. Police said the child was hurt sometime after 2 p.m. Sunday. Investigators later executed a search warrant at the child’s home, and Erie County Child Protective Services was contacted and became involved. No arrest, charge or suspect information had been announced in the initial reports.
Police said the child was expected to have surgery Monday. A local police account described the injuries as “not expected to be life-threatening.” Officials did not release the child’s name, gender or detailed medical condition. They also did not say whether the shooting happened inside a home, outside a home or somewhere else along the block. The limited details left several key questions open, including how the gunfire began, whether the child was the intended target and whether any weapon had been recovered.
The shooting was reported in the 1900 block area of Bailey Avenue, one of the city’s major east-side corridors. Officers secured the area Sunday, and crime scene tape surrounded a home as police worked at the scene. The Buffalo Police Gun Violence Unit is handling the investigation. That unit typically becomes involved in shootings where detectives must review physical evidence, speak with witnesses and determine whether the gunfire was intentional, accidental or tied to another crime.
Authorities also brought Erie County Child Protective Services into the case, a step that signals concern about the circumstances surrounding the injury of a young child. Police did not say what role the agency would play or whether the child’s home was the focus of its review. The search warrant at the residence marked an early procedural move by detectives, allowing them to look for evidence under court authority. Officials did not say what, if anything, was taken from the home during that search.
The case comes less than two years after another Buffalo shooting drew wide attention because children were struck by gunfire. In June 2024, 3-year-old Ramone Carter was killed and his 7-year-old sister was injured during a shooting on Domedion Avenue near Genesee Street. Prosecutors later said two teenagers were indicted in that case. The Bailey Avenue shooting is separate, and police have not linked it to any prior case.
Investigators had not announced a motive by Monday morning. They also had not said whether anyone else was injured. The child remained under medical care, and police said more information would be released when it became available.
Author note: Last updated June 10, 2026.