Ernest Lankford, 45, was shot and killed near West Seneca Street and North Plain Street in Ithaca in the early morning hours of Thursday, October 12, 2023. The shooting happened about 3:30 a.m.; investigators did not consider it random, indicating Lankford may have been targeted. Officers found seven shell casings in the street and cordoned off the scene while detectives worked to reconstruct events.

The Ithaca Police Department described the investigation as active and ongoing but released few specifics, and no arrests had been announced by late October 2023. Lankford was a father of five; his family called his death a senseless act of violence and organized online fundraisers to help with funeral costs and support his children. Who in the community has information that could help identify who was responsible for this killing?