2 dead in 'apparent domestic incident' after stabbing, fire in Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- Two people are dead after an "apparent domestic incident" early Saturday morning that saw a stabbing on Buffalo's West Side shortly followed by a house fire in South Buffalo, city officials said.

Police responded to the report of a stabbing around 3:30 a.m. on the 700 block of Ashland Avenue, where a 24-year-old woman was found stabbed and slashed, according to officials. The victim was transported by ambulance to ECMC where she was later pronounced dead.

Less than half an hour later, the Buffalo Fire Department responded to a blaze that started on the first floor of a residence on Dash Street. A 24-year-old male who lived at the house was found dead in a first-floor rear bedroom.

Officials said the two victims were known to each other, and an investigation into the connection between the stabbing and fire is ongoing. Autopsies will be conducted by medical examiners to determine the cause of the two deaths.

The fire caused $150,000 in damage to the South Buffalo residence and one firefighter was taken to ECMC for non-life-threatening injuries sustained while fighting the blaze. The fire's cause is under investigation.