In the late summer of 2015, the life of 20-year-old Artez Hamilton, a lifelong resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was cut short by gunfire. On August 19, 2015, an arrangement to trade firearms went horribly wrong, leading to his untimely death. Hamilton had planned to exchange two assault-style rifles for two handguns with at least one other individual. During this encounter, he was fatally shot.
He was pronounced dead on August 20, 2015, at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital.
The investigation into Hamilton's murder led authorities to 19-year-old Cedrick Smith. According to investigators, a witness identified Smith as the man seen fleeing the area where the shooting occurred. In a significant development, Smith turned himself into detectives and was subsequently arrested. He was booked into the parish prison on charges of second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon for his involvement in Hamilton's death.
