Overview
- Erie County officials said Wednesday the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam was a homicide caused by complications of a perforated duodenal ulcer brought on by hypothermia and dehydration.
- On death certificates, homicide is a medical classification that attributes death to another person’s actions or omissions without deciding criminal intent or legal fault.
- After his jail release on February 19, Border Patrol briefly held Shah Alam and dropped him at a Tim Hortons the agency described as a warm, safe location near his last known address; he was found dead on February 24 near Buffalo’s KeyBank Center.
- Buffalo leaders say the Tim Hortons was closed and relatives and his lawyer were not told where he was left, which they argue left a nearly blind, non‑English‑speaking man without help in the cold.
- New York Attorney General Letitia James and the Erie County district attorney are reviewing the case and have sought records, while officials press the Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol for full cooperation and an independent review.