Curtis Smith, a 35-year-old Black male, was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in downtown Los Angeles on March 2, 2025. The incident occurred at approximately 7:52 p.m. in the 700 block of Stanford Avenue, between San Pedro Street and Central Avenue. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Newton Division responded to an “assault with a deadly weapon” call and arrived to find Curtis Smith suffering from gunshot wounds on the sidewalk. Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department pronounced him dead at the scene at 8:02 p.m.
Authorities reported that a suspect armed with a firearm pulled up in a vehicle and opened fire on Curtis Smith before fleeing the scene. Multiple evidence markers were placed around a Volkswagen SUV as detectives conducted their investigation. The victim’s body was covered by a police privacy canopy on the sidewalk next to the vehicle. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office later confirmed the manner of death as homicide, with the cause being gunshot wounds.
At this time, law enforcement has not disclosed any arrests or identified any suspects in connection with the shooting. Investigators from LAPD’s Central Bureau Homicide are leading the case, working to determine whether the incident was gang-related or if there were other motives behind the attack. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities seek leads and gather further evidence.
