On a spring evening in Laurel, Maryland, a child custody visit turned into a scene of deadly violence that claimed the life of a young man. Anthony Donnell Minick, a 22-year-old male, was shot and killed on Tuesday, May 12, 2015. The fatal encounter unfolded around 8:26 p.m. in the 3400 block of Sudlersville South. When Anne Arundel County Police officers arrived at the scene, they found Minick on the ground with gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to Laurel Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into Minick's death quickly revealed that the shooting was not a random act of violence but a targeted incident stemming from a domestic dispute. Authorities identified three suspects, all family members, who had traveled to Laurel for the child visitation. Zelina Sharrieff Smith, 45, drove her 23-year-old brother, Daniel Xavier Stephens, and her 25-year-old son, Tyrik Zachary Smith, to meet with Minick so Tyrik Smith could see his child. During this visit, a physical altercation broke out between Tyrik Smith and Minick.
The conflict escalated tragically when Daniel Stephens allegedly pulled out a handgun and shot Minick. Following the shooting, the three suspects, along with a juvenile who was also present, fled the scene in the vehicle driven by Zelina Smith. The Anne Arundel County Police Department quickly broadcasted a lookout for the suspect vehicle. Within an hour, a Prince George's County Police detective spotted the Nissan and conducted a traffic stop. Zelina Smith and the juvenile were taken into custody.
Further investigation led to the arrests of the other two suspects. Daniel Xavier Stephens was apprehended during a traffic stop near Route 197 and 198 the following morning. Tyrik Zachary Smith was located and arrested without incident later that day in Silver Spring. All three adults faced charges related to the murder of Anthony Donnell Minick. Stephens and Tyrik Smith were charged with first and second-degree murder, assault, and conspiracy to commit assault, along with weapons charges. Zelina Sharrieff Smith was charged with being an accessory after the fact to first and second-degree murder and transporting a handgun in a vehicle.
