In the early morning hours of a Tuesday in July, violence shattered the quiet of a Donaldsonville, Louisiana neighborhood. What began as a return home for two men ended in a hail of bullets, leaving one critically injured and the other fighting for his life. Twenty-three-year-old Jacoby Smith, an African American male, was in a vehicle with a 31-year-old companion on Madewood Drive, having just dropped someone off. It was around 2 a.m.
on July 5, 2022, when an unknown assailant or assailants opened fire on them.
Smith suffered a gunshot wound to the head, a devastating injury that would prove fatal. His companion was struck in the hand. The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear to investigators, who noted that the two victims were not shooting at each other but were instead targeted by someone else. Authorities speculated that the pair may have been returning from an out-of-town event when the attack occurred. The sudden and brutal nature of the crime sent shockwaves through the community.
Following the shooting, Jacoby Smith was rushed to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, his injuries were too severe. He succumbed to his wounds the following day, on Wednesday, July 6, 2022. The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into the double shooting, now a homicide case. In the immediate aftermath, law enforcement officials stated that they had not yet identified any suspects. The investigation into the violent death of Jacoby Smith remains ongoing, leaving his family and community searching for answers and awaiting justice.
