On December 31, 2023, 18-year-old Hannah Darlene Leath-Smith was found fatally shot in an apartment on Dawn Road in Cincinnati's Roselawn neighborhood. Responding to reports of a shooting around 6:35 p.m., Cincinnati police discovered Leath-Smith with a gunshot wound; she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The following day, authorities arrested 18-year-old Jakari Thompson in connection with Leath-Smith's death.
Witnesses identified Thompson as the shooter, and he was reportedly seen with a firearm shortly after the incident. He was charged with murder and held on a $750,000 bond.
In December 2024, Thompson, then 19, pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of Leath-Smith and her unborn son; she was pregnant at the time of the shooting. Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Jody Luebbers sentenced Thompson to a prison term ranging from 18 to 23½ years, exceeding the plea agreement's recommended sentence. The motive for the shooting remains unclear, as Thompson has not provided an explanation.
Leath-Smith graduated from Dohn Community High School in 2023 and worked as a dialysis technician, aspiring to become a registered nurse. Her mother, Dionne Leath, expressed profound grief over the loss of both her daughter and unborn grandchild.
