On a Tuesday evening in Brooklyn, New York, the life of 36-year-old Roderick Smith, a Black male, was cut short by a sudden burst of violence. It was September 29, 2020, at approximately 10:15 p.m. in the Cypress Hills neighborhood, near Highland Park on Highland Boulevard. Smith was near his Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, which he utilized for his work as a DJ and for transporting entertainment equipment, when a confrontation occurred.
Two men, both dressed in black, approached Smith, and the encounter quickly escalated to gunfire. Smith was struck by bullets in his head and left shoulder. When police arrived at the scene near Sunnyside Avenue, they found him on the ground, facedown. Emergency services rushed him to Brookdale University Hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
The two gunmen fled the scene immediately after the shooting, disappearing into the night. Investigators recovered ballistic evidence at the location, but in the immediate aftermath, no arrests were made. The New York Police Department has been investigating the homicide, though a motive for the shooting has not been publicly disclosed.
In the time that has passed since Roderick Smith's death, the case has remained open as police continue their investigation. The community was left in shock by the brazen nature of the killing. As of the latest available information, no suspects have been publicly identified or taken into custody in connection with the murder, and the case remains unsolved.
