Jeremy Smith, a 37-year-old man from Timpson, Texas, was shot during a confrontation at a truck stop in Tenaha on the night of Wednesday, September 24, 2025. Around 8:30 p.m., Jeremy Smith parked his black Lexus near the diesel pumps by the intersection of U.S. Highways 59 and 96. Another vehicle pulled alongside; according to authorities, a passenger got out and began striking Jeremy Smith through the driver's-side window.
Jeremy Smith managed to get out and moved toward his trunk, where he tried to retrieve what officials described as an AR-15–style rifle. In that moment, one of the men from the other car allegedly opened fire, and the assailants fled as first responders raced to the scene.
Texas Department of Public Safety troopers were first to arrive. Jeremy Smith was taken from the truck stop for emergency treatment of life-threatening injuries. The following day, the Shelby County district attorney confirmed the victim's identity as Jeremy Smith of Timpson and announced that two suspects were in custody in connection with the killing. While the shooting occurred late on September 24, some public listings record his death on September 25, underscoring the overnight timing of the incident and subsequent medical response.
Investigators quickly focused on two men: Jesus Flores, 28, and Jorge Vazquez, 23, both from nearby Center, Texas. Each was booked into the Shelby County Jail on a first-degree murder charge related to Jeremy Smith's death. Officials described the encounter as a planned meeting between the vehicles that escalated into violence at the pumps, with law enforcement agencies including the Shelby County Sheriff's Department, the District Attorney's Office, the Texas Rangers, and DPS coordinating the response and arrests.
Jeremy Smith's identity and age were subsequently reflected in local obituary notices, which list him as Jeremy Jereaud Smith, born September 27, 1987, and note that he died in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and transport for care. Services were scheduled the following week in Center, Texas, as family and friends prepared to lay the 37-year-old to rest.
