In the early morning hours of May 17, 2025, a tragedy unfolded in a Lewiston, Maine, apartment that ended the life of 4-year-old Jasper Smith, a White male. Emergency services received a frantic 911 call around 4:55 a.m. from the residence on Pierce Street, reporting that a child had sustained a gunshot wound. First responders arrived to a devastating scene and rushed Jasper to Central Maine Medical Center.
Despite their efforts, the young boy was pronounced dead at 7:08 a.m.
The investigation that followed painted a grim picture of the circumstances leading to the fatal incident. It was revealed that Jasper died from a gunshot wound to the head, inflicted by a 9mm handgun. The firearm was legally registered to his 35-year-old stepfather, Robert McCoy. Several family members were present in the apartment at the time of the shooting. Concerns about the living conditions and the welfare of Jasper and his siblings had reportedly been raised by relatives and others prior to his death, with claims of multiple calls to state child protective services.
Following an in-depth investigation by the Lewiston Police Department and the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit, authorities made arrests in connection with Jasper's death. On June 18, 2025, Robert McCoy was taken into custody and charged with manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child. Investigators determined that the bullet that killed his stepson was fired from his handgun. The boy's mother, 27-year-old Mikayla Smith, was also arrested on the same day on unrelated warrants. After the incident, the other children in the home were placed in state care. The community was left shaken by the loss, holding vigils to remember the young boy whose life was cut short.
