On September 24, 2016, 24-year-old African American male Rodney O’Neal Smith was fatally shot in Wadesboro, North Carolina. The incident occurred during a domestic dispute with his girlfriend, 32-year-old Andrea Nicole Hammond. Rodney O’Neal Smith was remembered as a humble and sweet individual who was loved by many.
Following the incident, Andrea Nicole Hammond was arrested and charged in connection with Rodney O’Neal Smith's death.
She was subsequently convicted and sentenced to a prison term ranging from 44 to 65 months.
Rodney O’Neal Smith's funeral services were held on October 1, 2016, at Smith's Memorial Chapel in Wadesboro, with burial following at Galilee AME Zion Church Cemetery in Morven, North Carolina.
His death is among several domestic violence-related fatalities in Anson County, highlighting the ongoing issue of intimate partner violence in the region.
