Niagara Falls Man Gets 20 Years for Teen’s Shooting Death During Drug Deal

A Niagara Falls man has been sentenced to 20 years in state prison following his conviction in the fatal shooting of a local teenager during a drug deal gone wrong.

Luke D. Vaccarella, 43, was handed the sentence by Niagara County Court Judge Caroline Wojtaszek after a jury found him guilty of first-degree assault in connection with the April 2023 killing of 16-year-old Nakhii Williams.

The conviction stems from a violent encounter that took place at Vaccarella’s home on Ashland Avenue around 11:30am on April 24th, 2023. Prosecutors argued that the confrontation ended when Vaccarella shot the teenager during what he later claimed was an attempted robbery.

Vaccarella maintained throughout the trial that he acted in self-defense, saying the teen arrived at his residence armed and intended to rob him during a planned drug transaction. However, prosecutors challenged that claim, alleging the level of force used by Vaccarella was excessive and unjustified.

Niagara County District Attorney Brian Seaman, who led the prosecution, told the court that the manner of the shooting - where the firearm was discharged at extremely close range - did not support Vaccarella’s version of events. He described the act as a deliberate and brutal assault, not a defensive response.

“This was not a case of someone protecting themselves,” Seaman said after the sentencing. “This was a cold, violent act that ended a young life.”

During the trial in April, the jury deliberated over two and a half days. Their review included repeated requests to revisit testimony, examine body camera footage from responding officers, and seek clarification on legal standards related to self-defense. Ultimately, the jury of eight men and four women returned a guilty verdict.

Vaccarella’s legal team, led by Assistant Public Defender Theodore Janese, argued that the defendant had a legitimate fear for his safety and responded as anyone might when threatened by someone with a weapon.

“He had every reason to believe his life was in danger,” Janese said in court.

Despite the defense’s arguments, Judge Wojtaszek sided with the prosecution citing the severity of the assault and the victim’s age in her sentencing decision.

“This sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime committed,” Seaman said. “A teenager lost his life in an act of senseless violence, and the consequences for that act have now been made clear.”

Niagara Falls Man Gets 20 Years for Teen’s Shooting Death During Drug Deal