Buffalo man pleads guilty to killing one and injuring two in shooting at Club Marcella

Courtesy: Erie County District Attorney’s Office

BUFFALO, NY (WIVB) — A Buffalo man pleaded guilty Monday afternoon to killing one person and wounding two others in a shooting at a downtown Buffalo nightclub, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office said.

Officials said that on February 12, 2023, at around 2:30 a.m., 21-year-old Sharief McBroom intentionally fired several shots at the victim at Club Marcella in the 100 block of Michigan Avenue.

The victim, 21-year-old Jorge Garcia Leon, died at the scene. Two other people, a 49-year-old and a 59-year-old man, were wounded by gunfire and taken to the ECMC by ambulance, according to the prosecutor’s office.

McBroom pleaded guilty to the following charges:

• Second degree murder, one count
• Attempted second degree murder, two counts
• second degree criminal possession of a weapon, one count

When the verdict is announced on September 9, he faces a maximum sentence of 50 years to life imprisonment; he is still not allowed to be released on bail.

McBroom was arrested in South Buffalo in April 2023 on a warrant for a sealed indictment following a search lasting approximately one month.

“This is a completely senseless crime of violence,” said Michael Keane, assistant district attorney for Erie County. “The defendant smuggled an illegal gun into a nightclub and then, after a minor altercation, intentionally fired several shots at the victims. I take a tough stance on gun violence, which is why a reduced plea was not offered in this case.”