Gilbert Oosthuzian, a 44-year-old man from Pembroke Pines, Florida, was tragically shot and killed on June 10, 2016, outside the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Fort Lauderdale. Oosthuzian had just left the post when a man wearing a ski mask and a hoodie approached him and shot him multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department immediately launched an investigation, urging anyone with information to come forward.
The case remained unsolved for
several years until a significant breakthrough occurred in early 2023. An NBC 6 report on the cold case led to a crucial tip from a witness who had seen the crime. This tip resulted in the arrest of Jimmy Smith, a 54-year-old man who had been a person of interest from the beginning. Smith was a former co-worker and friend of Oosthuzian, and they had a falling out after a dispute at work. Smith allegedly followed Oosthuzian on the day of the murder, waiting for him to leave work and then stalking him to the VFW post where the shooting occurred.
Smith was charged with first-degree murder and was held without bond. The arrest brought some closure to Oosthuzian's family, who had long suspected Smith's involvement. Keyana Hamilton, Oosthuzian's daughter, expressed relief that the case was finally moving forward, although she and her family still struggled to understand how the situation had escalated to such a violent end. The investigation highlighted the importance of community involvement and the impact of media coverage in solving cold cases.
