In the quiet community of Alexander City, Alabama, a burst of violence on the afternoon of March 30, 2026, cut short the life of 19-year-old Fitzgerald Wilson Jr. The tragic event unfolded around 12:57 p.m. at the intersection of Third Street and 10th Avenue, where police responded to a report of a vehicle being fired upon.
Responding officers arrived to a grim scene.
Inside a silver Hyundai Elantra, they found Wilson and another young man, 20-year-old Rafiel Riggins, both having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Tragically, both Wilson and Riggins were pronounced deceased at the location of the shooting. The initial investigation suggested the shots had been fired from outside the vehicle.
As the community grappled with the news of the double homicide, law enforcement began the search for those responsible. A reward of $2,000 was offered by CrimeStoppers for any information that would lead to the arrest of a suspect. The efforts of the Alexander City Police Department yielded results within the week.
On Friday, April 3, 2026, investigators took two men into custody in connection with the killings. The suspects were identified as 22-year-old Markeis Diquon Smart of Dadeville and 19-year-old Jordan Hakeim Smart of Alexander City. Both men were charged with two counts of capital murder of persons in a vehicle and were transported to the Tallapoosa County Jail to await a bond hearing.
Fitzgerald Lamar Wilson Jr., known affectionately to his loved ones as “Jugg,” was born on August 26, 2006, in Sylacauga, Alabama. He was a student at Benjamin Russell High School and was remembered for the joy he brought to those around him. He was laid to rest after services in early April, leaving behind a grieving family and a community seeking justice.
