In the warm evening of May 15, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the life of 16-year-old African American Randii Morrow-Smith was tragically cut short. She was waiting at a bus stop on East Bonanza Road with her boyfriend, Anthony Wright, when the night was shattered by gunfire. At approximately 10:15 p.m., two individuals approached the couple and began shooting without any warning.
In a desperate attempt to escape the sudden violence, Randii ran but collapsed in a nearby alley from gunshot wounds to her neck and face. She was rushed to University Medical Center, but her injuries proved fatal, and she was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the senseless killing initially appeared to gain traction. Based largely on the testimony of Wright, who was unharmed in the attack, police arrested 18-year-old Christian Shannon and 14-year-old Tyrone White. The two were charged with murder with a deadly weapon, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder. Wright's account to the police suggested the shooting was the culmination of a previous altercation involving himself, Randii, and her sister against White and his family. However, the foundation of the case against Shannon and White soon began to crumble as inconsistencies emerged in Wright's story and he was reluctant to provide certain details.
Further doubts were cast on the guilt of the two teenagers when both denied any involvement in the shooting and reportedly passed polygraph tests administered by the police. The defense brought forward an eyewitness who described the shooters as two bald Hispanic men in a black Impala, a description that did not match Shannon and White. With other witnesses failing to positively identify the suspects in lineups and the growing concerns over the reliability of the main witness, the prosecution's case weakened significantly. In a turn of events that left the quest for justice for Randii Morrow-Smith unanswered, prosecutors dismissed all charges against Shannon and White in December 2011, just before the trial was scheduled to begin.
