In the late hours of a Saturday night in Hermitage, Tennessee, a young man’s life was tragically cut short. Daelon Smith, a 21-year-old male, was shot and killed on January 2, 2021, at the Hermitage Flats Apartments located in the 5600 block of Old Hickory Boulevard. The incident, which unfolded around 11 p.m., left the community shaken and authorities searching for answers.
The investigation into Smith's death, led by Metro Nashville police, quickly pointed to a meeting that had taken
a fatal turn. According to detectives, Smith and a friend had reportedly arranged to meet Nicolas J. Turner, 23, at the apartment complex for a marijuana transaction. What was intended to be a simple exchange escalated into a physical altercation between Smith and Turner. In the ensuing confrontation, Turner allegedly fired a weapon, striking Smith. Daelon Smith was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
In the days following the shooting, law enforcement identified Nicolas J. Turner as the suspect and issued a warrant for his arrest on a charge of criminal homicide. The search for Turner came to a swift end when, on January 4, 2021, he surrendered himself to the authorities at the Criminal Warrants Division.
