BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Dale Cummings is in the Erie County Holding Center Tuesday, being held without bail on a weapons charge.
He's considered a "person of interest" in the shooting that occurred on Saturday on Zenner Street that left two men dead and their families in mourning.
7 News took a closer look at Cummings on Tuesday. We know he's 31 years old. Police say he is "homeless" and was squatting at 148 Zenner Street where the shootings took place.
He was arrested on Sunday with help from the community after police released images from a security camera.
Police arrested Cummings on a criminal possession of a weapon charge. Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said Cummings was allegedly in possession of a 9 mm long rifle that collapsed in half making it easily concealable in a bag.
When Cummings was arrested, he had three open court cases in Buffalo on his record. One for failing to pay his fare for a bus or Metro Rail, another for allegedly pulling a gun on someone on Elmwood Avenue and then fighting with police and then trespassing and loitering on the SUNY Buffalo State University campus. In all of those cases, he failed to show up for his court appearances.
Records also show he used to live in Houston, Texas, and was arrested in that state 53 times, mostly for minor offenses.
His attorney, Nick Texido, pointed out that his client has not been charged in the homicides at this point.
"I would just urge everybody to take a step back, take a deep breath," he said. "It's very early. The man is not even charged with a homicide offense yet, let alone convicted of it."
John Flynn, former Erie County District Attorney who is now a lawyer at Lippes Matthias, spoke about how homicide investigations sometimes work. He pointed out that he does not have direct knowledge about this case.
"If you want to get the person off the street right away... and get them out of society," he said sometimes police will charge the suspect with a lower offense. When it comes to shootings and gun-related homicides, gun charges often come into place, as is the case with Cummings.
"You have a gun charge. It's a qualifying bail offense and you can ask the judge to keep this person in custody validly on the gun charge while you continue the investigation into the homicide," he said.
Acting DA Michael Keane said Monday that he's expecting development in the homicide investigation "in the near future."
In the meantime, Cummings remains in jail on the gun charge. A felony hearing is scheduled for Friday.
Hundreds gathered at the Buffalo Muslim Center on Tuesday for a final prayer for Abu Yousuf, one of the men killed in the shooting.
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