Buffalo police have identified the man shot and killed at the intersection of Koons Avenue and Sycamore Street on Saturday.
According to police, Norzell Aldridge, 36, of Cheektowaga and a 20-year-old Buffalo man were shot following some kind of dispute or fight involving multiple people. Both victims were taken to a nearby hospital in private vehicles, but Aldridge did not recover.
The other victim was treated and released, according to police.
Dwayne Warren, who grew up with Aldridge, said his friend died a hero trying to break up that fight.
“He stood in and tried to do the right thing in the fight," Warren said. "He’s a hero in my eyes, he’s a hero for that."
Warren said he coached football to kids in the area and loved doing it.
“He left Buffalo for a while," he added. "One of the reasons for him coming back was to coach his league and coach these kids and he had love for these kids, they gave him his heart."
Warren said he's going to miss his friend's swagger, laugh, and him talking about sports. He described Aldridge as someone who looked out for others.
"He was a good guy, big heart. He would give his shirt off his back. He took care of his kids, he took care of his family, he took care of all his friends. He took care of whoever needed to be taken care of," he said.
Police have not released any other details about the incident, including whether or not there are any suspects or persons of interest. Anyone with information is asked to call or text the police department's confidential tip-line at (716)-847-2255.