Walt Smith, 24, of Glenolden, Pennsylvania, was shot and killed on March 16, 1993 after a dispute over a shoveled parking space outside his apartment building. Smith, who had recently resigned from the Darby Borough police department, confronted neighbor Gavin McCloskey after McCloskey parked in the spot Smith had cleared. McCloskey answered his door with a gun and, after a brief exchange, fired a lead ball from an old-fashioned handgun into Smith’s chest. Smith was taken to a nearby hospital and died about three hours later.

McCloskey was arrested in his apartment and charged with homicide; he was held without bail pending a court hearing. The two men had a history of disputes over parking in the shared lot. The shooting and the use of an antique firearm drew significant local attention and left the community reeling.