Journey Kennedy, a 20-year-old individual from Lumberton, NC, tragically lost their life on June 21, 2015. Journey Kennedy was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound on Plainview Drive late Saturday night. Despite being taken to Southeastern Regional Medical Center, Kennedy's condition rapidly deteriorated, and they were pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The incident marked the seventh homicide in Lumberton that year, prompting local officials to speak out against violent crime in the city.
James Jamar Smith, a 22-year-old man, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Journey Kennedy's death. Smith was apprehended at his Chambers Street home by officers from the Lumberton Police Department's Investigative Division and Special Operations Unit. In addition to the murder charge, Smith was also charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury for shooting another individual, Patrick Smith, who was found with multiple gunshot wounds on Freedom Drive about two hours after Kennedy's shooting. Patrick Smith's injuries were initially life-threatening, but his condition later improved.
The motive for the shootings, which are believed to be related, has not been determined. James Jamar Smith is being held in the Robeson County Detention Center under no bond for the murder charge and a $30,000 secured bond for the assault charge. Local officials have expressed their gratitude to the public for providing tips that led to Smith's arrest. The case has highlighted the ongoing issue of violent crime in Lumberton, with officials planning to hold a town hall forum to address crime, arrests, and public safety initiatives in the community.
