Katrina Renee Smith, a 43-year-old Black woman from Concord, North Carolina, was known for her big smile and open heart. A mother of four, she was remembered by friends and family as charismatic, beautiful inside and out, and an amazing parent. One friend who had known her since the third grade described her as family. Known to some as "Trina," she was also called the "best aunt" and an angel by those who loved her.
In the early hours of Tuesday, January 18, 2022, a call for a
medical-related incident brought Cabarrus County paramedics to Smith’s home on Brookstone Drive NW. At approximately 12:45 a.m., as the emergency medical crew was leaving the residence, they heard multiple gunshots ring out from inside the house. Concord police officers had also been dispatched to the home to assist.
When officers arrived, they encountered a man attempting to leave the scene. They detained the man, who was identified as Smith’s 24-year-old son, Ya-Qway Jayshawn Sawyer. The officers then entered the home to conduct a search and investigate the source of the gunshots.
Inside the residence, police discovered Katrina Renee Smith in her bathroom. She was deceased, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Following the discovery of his mother’s body, Sawyer was taken into custody.
Ya-Qway Jayshawn Sawyer was charged with one count of murder. He was transported to the Cabarrus County Jail, where he was held without bond. At the time of his arrest, investigators had not determined a motive for the shooting. As of January 2022, the case was pending legal proceedings.
