Humble, kind, and known as a quiet leader, Marc Travis Smith Jr. was a thoughtful and compassionate young man with a strong faith and a dedicated work ethic. The 23-year-old Native American man was born on March 13, 2003, to Frances Ann Freeman and Marc T. Smith Sr. A member of the Prairie Chicken Clan and a child of the Knife Clan, Marc Jr. grew up in New Town, North Dakota, where he graduated from New Town High School in 2022.
He and his sister were raised by their grandmother, Miriam Smith, and the three shared a close bond. After high school, Marc Jr. decided to enter the construction and oil industries, immediately finding work at the new North Segment Community Center. His ambition and willingness to work hard, regardless of the weather, were recognized by his boss, who offered him extra hours. He became good friends with his coworkers and, after the community center was completed, took on odd jobs to support his family. He had just accepted a position with an oil company and was scheduled to begin training the Monday after he was killed. Marc Jr. was a man of strong faith who attended church regularly, reading from a bible that had been passed down through four generations of his family.
The evening of Friday, September 25, 2026, turned tragic for the Smith family and the community of New Town on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. An altercation occurred at a residence sometime after 9:30 p.m. in the 600 block of 8th Street North. During the incident, both Marc Smith Jr. and his father, Marc "Travis" Smith Sr., 50, were fatally shot. A third person was also wounded and transported to Trinity Hospital in Minot for treatment. According to the state medical examiner, both father and son died from homicide by assailants. Their time of death was officially listed as 10:09 p.m. Marc Jr. sustained gunshot wounds to his back, left hip, and left arm/shoulder.
The shooting prompted an immediate and widespread law enforcement response. At about 10:28 p.m., Three Affiliated Tribes Law Enforcement Services issued a shelter-in-place order for New Town and the nearby community of Four Bears. The MHA Emergency Operations Center alerted residents that two armed men dressed in black were believed to be on foot in the area, advising people to stay inside, lock their doors, and keep away from windows. The intense search for the suspects involved multiple agencies, including tribal police, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the FBI. The shelter-in-place order was lifted the next morning at 6:10 a.m. after authorities determined there was no longer a public threat.
Shortly after the lockdown was lifted, authorities confirmed that four suspects had been apprehended in connection with the double homicide. Because the crime occurred on a reservation, the investigation falls under federal jurisdiction according to the Major Crimes Act. The FBI took the lead in the case, working in partnership with the Three Affiliated Tribes Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services. One witness reported seeing two people fleeing the house where the Smiths were shot; they ran toward the witness's vehicle, and at least one of them fired shots at the car, though the witness was not injured.
In the wake of the violence, the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation mourned the loss of two of its members. MHA Nation Chairman Mark Fox issued a statement expressing the community's grief and thanking the various law enforcement agencies for their swift response. The incident also led New Town Public Schools and Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College to cancel classes on the following Monday to allow students, staff, and families time to process the tragic events. Counseling services were made available to students at the college.
A wake for Marc Jr. and his father was held on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Northern Lights Wellness Center in New Town, followed by funeral services at the same location the next day. They were buried at the Memorial Congregational Cemetery. Marc Jr. was remembered for his intelligence and his enjoyment of computer gaming and researching diverse topics. He made his journey alongside his father and was greeted in heaven by his mother, paternal grandparents, and a sister who had passed before him. He is survived by his siblings and a large extended family who loved him dearly.
As of October 2026, the investigation into the murders of Marc Smith Jr. and his father remained ongoing. While four suspects were in custody, their identities and the specific charges against them had not been publicly released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota, which will handle the prosecution. Key questions about the circumstances and motive behind the shooting remain unanswered pending further announcements from federal authorities.
