On a stormy Friday night in Topeka, Kansas, on July 14, 2023, the brief life of 2-month-old Alonzoe K. Smith came to a tragic end. The young, Black / African American male child was at home with his mother, Toyana Taylor-Adams, when his father, Alfred Smith, reportedly appeared outside their window. After being let inside, a series of events unfolded that would leave a family shattered.
Shortly after Alfred Smith's arrival, the child's mother stepped out of the apartment to speak with a
friend and a cousin. It was during this brief time that a gunshot was heard from within the residence. Alfred Smith then reportedly ran down the stairs holding Alonzoe, who was covered in blood, and handed the baby to his mother. The child had sustained a life-threatening gunshot wound. He was rushed to a local hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. The shooting occurred in the 1000 block of SW Mulvane Street.
In the aftermath of the fatal shooting, the Topeka Police Department identified 29-year-old Alfred A. Smith as a person of interest. Authorities sought the public's help in locating him, noting that he was last seen in a turquoise Jeep SUV. A short time later, Alfred Smith was located and apprehended in Greene County, Missouri, on unrelated charges. He was subsequently extradited back to Kansas and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, where he is being held without bond in connection with the death of his son.
