Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that Edward Harwell, 39, of Buffalo, pleaded guilty this morning before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree (Class "B" violent felony) and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class "C" violent felonies).

On Sunday, August 3, 2024, at approximately 1:30 p.m., the defendant caused the death of the victim by shooting him with an illegal gun on the 200 block of Bird Avenue in the City of Buffalo. The victim, 21-year-old Kabah Kabah, was taken by ambulance to ECMC with multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced deceased at the hospital.

A few minutes after the initial call, a Buffalo Police officer observed a vehicle traveling eastbound on Route 198 near Delaware Park, which matched the description of the suspect vehicle that fled the area after the shooting. The officer followed the suspect vehicle as it traveled onto the Kensington Expressway, into downtown Buffalo, and onto Route 5 Skyway. While on the top of the Skyway, the officer saw multiple objects, that appeared to be handguns, thrown from the window of the vehicle.

Officers stopped the vehicle near the Fuhrmann Boulevard exit. The driver, Edward Harwell, and two passengers were taken into custody. Officers recovered two loaded firearms from the vehicle's flight path, which were submitted into evidence for further analysis. Harwell was linked to the weapons through DNA analysis.

Harwell faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. He remains held without bail.

Two passengers were also indicted for possession of the recovered illegal weapons. An 18-year-old male from Buffalo, pleaded guilty, as charged, to two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. The adolescent offender is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Eagan, a designated Youth Part judge, on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. He was remanded to the Erie County Youth Services Center pending sentence. Our office will not be releasing the name of the adolescent offender due to his age at the time of the crime and his eligibility for youthful offender adjudication.

The second co-defendant, Mekhi J. Harwell, 21, of Buffalo, is pending prosecution. He is also scheduled to return on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. for further proceedings before Judge Eagan, and remains released on previously posted bail.

DA Keane commends Detective Anthony Shea and Officer Christina Colosimo of the Buffalo Police Department for their work in this investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Christopher S. Safulko of the Homicide Bureau.