Buffalo police investigate armed robbery outside downtown pub

BUFFALO, N.Y. — It was a rough introduction to Buffalo for two young Irish men who came here for work and ended up robbed at gunpoint outside a downtown bar over the weekend.

It’s unfortunate according to Conor Hawkins, co-owner of the Banshee Irish Pub, who says he hopes the community will rally around his two tavern workers, who he says aren’t even used to hearing about armed robberies in their country original.

At around 4.45am on Sunday, the two men left the pub and footage from a security camera outside the Banshee shows a man approaching the two victims and showing them what appears to be a gun. fire.

According to Hawkins, the two men told police that the robber asked for money, but the victims did not have any. The attacker therefore took a new iPhone belonging to the victims.

Both young men are here on visas to study and work and, according to Hawkins, had just arrived here less than a week ago when this happened.

“They just came from Ireland and were here for six days,” Hawkins said. “They came to work at Banshee in the summer, play Gaelic football, Irish football and have the experience of a lifetime.”

“What happened really sucked,” Hawkins said. “They’re nice guys. They come from rural Ireland and aren’t used to the big city, and then this happened, so I’m heartbroken for them, that they had this experience, and I’m a little worried about their mothers back in Ireland.

“The police force has suffered significant cuts and is having difficulty recruiting personnel to the area,” said Dave Metz of the Chippewa Alliance, who also says criminals appear to be getting more brazen.

“We’ve had a few incidents here… since they changed the laws by raising the bail age, some of these criminals don’t care. I mean, they’re committing a crime because it’s There’s no fear.”

Hawkins, who posted about the incident on social media, says the two victims are doing their best to get along and hopes the community will show them support.

“They work, enjoy things, and meet new friends every day. I posted this for people to come say hello and tell them that people in Buffalo are not like that. We are a very welcoming city and a town of good neighbors and to say hello to the guys,” he said.