On the evening of September 25, 2023, in Hobbs, New Mexico, 19-year-old Brennon Zack Smith, a Caucasian male, was fatally shot. The incident unfolded around 6:45 p.m. in the 200 block of West Copper Avenue, near Mills Elementary School. Initially, the event was reported as a single-vehicle crash, with witnesses telling dispatch they had heard a gunshot.
When Hobbs Police Department officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Smith inside his silver pickup truck, which had crashed into a wall. He was suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency services transported Smith to Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The subsequent investigation into Smith's death led to the arrest of a 15-year-old male juvenile. Security camera footage from the exterior of Mills Elementary School captured the moments leading up to the tragedy. The video showed Brennon Smith parking his pickup truck near the school's fence line. The investigation, which included multiple interviews, revealed that the 15-year-old suspect approached Smith's vehicle to conduct a marijuana deal. During the transaction, the juvenile shot Smith in the head.
Following the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for the 15-year-old suspect. He was taken into custody and transported to the Hobbs City Jail. The juvenile has been charged with first-degree murder and attempt to commit a felony, specifically armed robbery. Brennon, a 2022 graduate of Hobbs High School, was attending New Mexico Junior College at the time of his death.
