In the early morning hours of September 22, 2015, a violent altercation on a Newport, Rhode Island sidewalk brought a sudden and tragic end to the life of 48-year-old Christopher C. Smith, a White male from Middletown. The incident, which unfolded around 2:00 a.m. at the corner of William and King Streets, stemmed from a physical struggle between Smith and another man, identified as 35-year-old Stephen J.
Jemo of Newport.
According to police reports and witness accounts, the two men were engaged in a heated argument. One witness reported hearing someone yell, "Get your hands off of her," just before the sound of two gunshots rang out in quick succession. The altercation escalated to the point where Jemo allegedly shot Smith before taking his own life. When authorities arrived at the scene, they found both men with fatal gunshot wounds. Two firearms were recovered at the location.
Smith was immediately transported to Newport Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Jemo was taken to Rhode Island Hospital and was pronounced dead at 6:45 a.m. The Newport Police Department investigated the deaths as a murder-suicide and assured the public that it was an isolated incident, with no ongoing threat to the community. As the sole suspect, Stephen J. Jemo, died at the scene, no arrests were made in connection with Christopher Smith's death.
