Burned Out in Buffalo, NY--Homeless Camp in the Woods

Buffalo, NY--March 2009. Police are investigating a fire in a wooded area that left a homeless man, John Grossjean, severely burned. At this point they do not know if the fire was deliberately set as part of a "bum bashing" incident, was accidental, or a case of homeless on homeless crime.

Some homeless advocates report that the homeless in this area have had their tents torched. And when the homeless run from the fire, they're shot with BB guns.

Sixty-four percent of all cases of violence against the homeless are perpetrated by youth between the ages of 13-19.

Some advocates want crimes against the homeless to be treated as hate crimes.

Recently, I've noticed some odd graftiti near the railroad bridge where the homeless man was burned. It reads "Top Notch Blaze." I've seen the same message on a bus stop on Hertel Avenue across from the Jasper Parrish Housing projects. This is where the homeless man was supposedly taken before he was taken to the hospital.

Again, if you have any information contact arson investigators at the number listed.

If you have any information on this fire call the Buffalo Fire Department at 851-4515.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• homeless
• bum
• bashing
• fire
• black
• rock
• buffalo
• hate
• crimes
• advocacy
• fires
• arson
• unit.

[ReviewCam]

Whoever would do such a thing is a total reprobate.

[bugsme10]

God will get who ever did this.

now or later.

[AreWildZ28]

SHAME......on whoever did this....

[ReviewCam]

@718BKBoi I think the first man, who lived in the underground bunker did set it on fire himself, as for this incident officials still do not know what happened, but there is good reason to suspect that a violent homeless guy, "protocal" may have been involved. I can't say positively but a lot of people do suspect it, and the homeless population on the tracks can indeed be violent.

[iStaybIazed420]

@BlackRock716 HaHa 

[BlackRock716]

haha when i was like 14 - 13 maybe me n the home boys used to shoot that tranny that lived underground wit a b.b gun n hed come out n chase us wit a fuckin axe wed get drunk n tackle his paint can chimney hahaha

[sultanknish]

It's a horrible crime