Dahrique Smith, a 25-year-old man from West Mifflin, was fatally shot on the night of May 21, 2017, at the Rowdy Buck bar on Pittsburgh's South Side. The incident occurred around 12:40 a.m. when Smith was found outside the bar with multiple gunshot wounds to the abdomen. Despite being rushed to UPMC Mercy, he was pronounced dead shortly after 1 a.m.
The investigation revealed that the shooting took place inside the bar, and police released surveillance footage showing four persons of interest entering the bar just before the incident.
The case remained unsolved for several years until Kolbrin Holyfield, also from West Mifflin, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Smith's death. In July 2021, Holyfield was convicted of the murder following a non-jury trial. Judge Beth Lazzara sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole in October 2021. The conviction brought some closure to Smith's family and friends, who had been seeking justice for the young man's untimely death.
The shooting at the Rowdy Buck bar highlighted concerns about crime in Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood, with residents expressing fear and frustration over the increasing violence. The bar itself reopened under new ownership as Trixie's Bar and Game Room, but the memory of Dahrique Smith's tragic death continues to impact the community.
