8 shot, 4 fatally, outside Buffalo, N.Y., restaurant

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Eight people leaving a party at a downtown Buffalo restaurant were shot early today, four of them fatally, including a Texas man who had returned to his hometown to celebrate his first wedding anniversary, police said.

Managers had decided to close the City Grill in the city's business district after an altercation inside. The victims were leaving at about 2:30 a.m. when gunfire erupted, police said.

"There were verbal things going on. Management apparently chose to close down and have everybody leave the restaurant," Chief of Detectives Dennis Richards said. "People were leaving when this shooting happened."

Investigators did not know how many shooters there were and asked for witnesses to speak up.

"We need people to come forward," said Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda, who estimated there were 100 people at the scene when police arrived.