In what began as an innocent teenage prank, 15-year-old Myquell Smith tragically lost his life on November 24, 2021, in Enterprise, Alabama. A freshman at Enterprise High School, Smith was known as a respectable honor student and a promising athlete on the football and track teams. He was remembered for his radiant smile and energetic presence that could light up a room.
The fatal incident unfolded when Smith and his friends were engaged in a prank involving water guns at the house of a
girl one of them had a crush on. DeAndre Flowers, who was at his sister's neighboring house, mistook the teenagers' actions for something more sinister and made a phone call. This set off a chain of events that would have devastating consequences. Flowers, along with his brother-in-law Fredrick Wilder Jr., pursued the teenagers in a high-speed chase through the city.
The chase came to a tragic end near the Bo Wevil statue in downtown Enterprise when Wilder fired multiple shots into the vehicle carrying the teens. Myquell Smith, who was a passenger, was struck in the chest by a bullet and succumbed to his injuries. The senseless act of violence cut short the life of a young man with a bright future, leaving his family and community to grapple with the profound loss.
In the aftermath, both DeAndre Flowers and Fredrick Wilder Jr. were arrested in connection with Smith's death. Flowers was initially charged with murder, but this was later reduced. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and agreed to testify against Wilder in a plea deal that resulted in a three-year prison sentence. Fredrick Wilder Jr., identified as the shooter, pleaded guilty to reckless murder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
