James William Smith Jr., known to friends as “Peedy” or “Cowboy,” was a 45-year-old Black/African American male whose life was cut short by gunfire in Forrest City, Arkansas, on July 25, 2025. Public memorial records mark the date and place with stark clarity, naming Forrest City as the community where he was “lost to gun violence.”
Born and raised in Forrest City, Smith’s roots ran deep. Loved ones remembered him in an obituary published by a local funeral home and on Legacy, which preserve snapshots of his life—family ties, faith, and the nicknames that followed him from childhood into adulthood. Those notices fix his dates as July 9, 1979–July 25, 2025, and reflect the community rituals that followed his death.
As the shock settled, the public record remained sparse about the moments that led to his killing. Memorial listings document the loss but offer no narrative beyond the fact of a fatal shooting in his hometown. Local obituary and memorial pages echo the same, honoring the man without advancing the investigation’s storyline.
As of November 13, 2025, there have been no credible public reports of an arrest or a named suspect in the case, and no official announcement indicating charges. Memorial and obituary sources continue to be the primary public references to his death, while community pages list him among Forrest City’s recent homicide victims without noting any investigative breakthrough.
