Student, 19, from Baldwin fatally stabbed at University at Buffalo

AMHERST, N.Y. — An altercation Friday evening outside a freshman dorm at the University at Buffalo North Campus left a 19-year-old SUNY Buffalo State student from Long Island fatally stabbed and police searching for 'a person of interest.'

But officials at both schools told students, faculty and staff that the incident was not random and there was no further threat to the campus communities.

"To be clear, this does not appear to be a random act of violence, but rather a targeted incident between known individuals," University at Buffalo Police Chief Chris Bartolomei said in a statement.

The victim was identified as Tyler Lewis, 19, of Baldwin. He was found stabbed in the chest around 7:30 p.m. Friday. He was rushed to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

On Saturday, UB police said they had identified a "person of interest" in the stabbing. They said that man had suffered "substantial" wounds to his face, including a diagonal cut across his forehead and multiple cuts on his face. Police described the "person of interest" as a male between 19 and 22, wearing a mustard-colored shirt. They said he fled the scene in a black four-door sedan. Friday night, in one of several emergency alerts to the UB community, police said that "at least four others" may have been involved in the incident.

 His mother, Roquishia Lewis, said in a text interview: "Tyler was a teenager who was smart, charismatic and insightful," adding that he was "Very mature for his age. He had a rich sense of humor, his favorite person was, himself."

His mother said Tyler was a gamer who enjoyed making vlogs with his college sweetheart Karla Longmore, whom he met during his freshmen year. 

She said that as a child, he had attended Valley Stream Christian Academy and Hofstra University's Saturday Classes for Young People, and played for the Valley Stream Baseball League. During his summers he attended NASA Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama and Young People's Camp on Long Island, she said.

 Tyler was awarded The Excelsior Scholarship and chose to attend Buffalo State, his mother said.

Saturday morning, several students from the Richmond dorms shared their reactions to the homicide on their campus.

Colin Perney, a UB freshman whose dorm is next to the crime scene, said he was relieved when authorities said the suspects didn't pose a danger to other UB students. Yet, he was worried.

"Still, why here?" he asked.

Perney and his roommate Ben Farhi were hanging out Friday night on the second floor of Richmond 3, a dormitory, when they became aware of an incident outside the building.

"There were cops everywhere, a huge scene," Farhi said Saturday outside the dorm.

Perney and Farhi said law enforcement went room-to-room in Richmond seeking information. They also saw police shining their flashlights to inspect the roadway about 15 yards from the dorm's front door.

Buffalo State President Katherine S. Conway-Turner said the victim was a sophomore majoring in pre-business administration.

"On behalf of the entire Buffalo State community, I express my heartfelt condolences to Tyler's family and beloved friends. Our hearts ache for you during this difficult time," Conway-Turner said in a statement.

UB President Satish Tripathi assured that the incident was isolated.

"University Police are actively investigating this horrible act of violence and are in communication with Buffalo State police and local police. I want to reassure our campus community that University Police believe there is no residual danger to campus from this incident," he said.

Amherst, where the University at Buffalo North Campus is located, is a Buffalo suburb.

With Darwin Yanes