In the early morning hours of June 20, 2017, the life of Jeremy Scott Smith, a 40-year-old male, was tragically cut short in Mobile, Alabama. Smith was working as a security guard at Shotgun Willies on Halls Mill Road when he was shot multiple times. Officers responded to a call about the shooting at approximately 4:15 a.m. and found Smith with fatal injuries.
The incident was quickly determined to be a homicide.
Remembered by family and friends as a loving father and a hero who sought to protect others, Jeremy Scott Smith was a married father of four children. His sudden and violent death sent shockwaves through the community, leaving his loved ones to grapple with the senseless loss of a man described as wonderful and deeply loved. His family included his wife, Melissa Smith, their four children, his parents, and three brothers.
In the wake of the shooting, homicide investigators with the Mobile Police Department worked to piece together the events that led to Smith's death. Their investigation led them to identify a suspect in the case. Dewayne Wheat, born in September of 1981, was connected to the fatal shooting.
Following the investigation, Dewayne Wheat was taken into custody and charged with the murder of Jeremy Scott Smith. The arrest brought a measure of progress in the case, though the motive for the shooting was not immediately made public. The legal proceedings against Wheat would begin to unfold, marking the next chapter in the quest for justice for Jeremy Scott Smith and his grieving family.
