Nathan T. Smith, a 27-year-old White male, was killed on the night of July 14, 2021, after gunfire broke out in the Knollwood community of Claymont, Delaware. Around 9:40 p.m., New Castle County police were sent to the area of Balfour Avenue for a reported shooting. When officers arrived, they found multiple people wounded and began emergency aid with EMS. Smith and 16-year-old Jasir Brown were taken to a local hospital, where both were pronounced dead.
A 19-year-old woman who was wounded in the arm was treated and released, while another injured person was hospitalized in serious condition.
The shooting was later described by prosecutors as a robbery attempt that spiraled into a deadly exchange of gunfire. Israel Lecompte and others had allegedly carjacked a Chevrolet Impala in Chester, Pennsylvania, earlier that July and traveled through Wilmington looking for rival gang members before going to Claymont. Prosecutors said the group went into Knollwood intending to rob Smith, but Smith was armed, and the confrontation turned into a shootout. Smith was killed, Brown, described in later coverage as Lecompte's associate, was also fatally shot, and Lecompte and Smith's girlfriend suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds.
The investigation eventually led authorities to Israel Lecompte. In February 2022, the Delaware Department of Justice announced that Lecompte had been indicted on 12 charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and four counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Prosecutors said he was accused of murdering Smith in the Knollwood community and that he was also charged in a broader NorthPak gang case involving multiple violent offenses.
Lecompte later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, assault, attempted robbery, and a weapons charge in connection with Smith's killing. At his October 2023 sentencing, prosecutors argued that the case was not a random misunderstanding, but part of a pattern of robberies, carjackings, and shootings. They told the court that Lecompte had shown little remorse and that the evidence tied him directly to the crime scene, including because he had been shot during the incident.
Smith's family addressed the court before sentencing, describing the pain caused by his death. His mother and sister spoke about their grief, and Smith's girlfriend, who survived being shot during the robbery attempt, also provided a statement. Lecompte apologized in court and said he took responsibility, but said he had not set out to hurt Smith. Superior Court President Judge Jan Jurden sentenced him to 27 years in prison.
Lecompte's legal troubles did not end with the Knollwood case. He also faced additional charges connected to the alleged NorthPak gang investigation, including accusations tied to other killings and non-fatal shootings in Wilmington. Later court records described him as an alleged NorthPak member and listed a wide range of violent-crime charges, including gang participation, first-degree murder counts, attempted murder counts, robberies, reckless endangering, stolen-vehicle offenses, conspiracy, and firearm-related charges.
