Sir Daniel Smith was a 23-year-old Black man from Lawton, Oklahoma, remembered by loved ones as a "jokestar" who was always smiling and making jokes. A graduate of local high schools, his life was violently cut short in the early evening of June 4, 2024, leaving a void in the lives of his family and friends.
Around 7 p.m. that Tuesday, an SUV approached Smith as he stood in front of a home in the 1100 block of Northwest Smith Avenue.
According to investigators, after a brief exchange, multiple people inside the vehicle opened fire. Smith was struck by the gunfire and transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Lawton Police Department launched a homicide investigation and located the suspect vehicle less than an hour after the shooting. When the SUV stopped, three teenagers jumped out and attempted to flee on foot but were quickly caught and arrested. Court testimony later indicated that the shooting was gang-related and prompted by a perceived act of disrespect.
Ultimately, five teenagers were charged as adults or youthful offenders in connection with the murder: Dwayne Smith Jr., 16; Curtis Pelham Jr., 16; Jaquis J. Lipscomb, 15; Demontez Fountain, 17; and Prince Kenneth Larry Crushall, 16. The charges against them included first-degree murder, use of a vehicle in the discharge of a weapon, and gang-related offenses.
The cases against the teens proceeded through the court system. In June 2025, Dwayne Smith Jr. pleaded no contest to charges of first-degree murder and use of a vehicle in the discharge of a weapon. A sentencing hearing for him was scheduled for September of that year.
In November 2025, a Comanche County jury heard the case against Curtis Pelham Jr. After three days of testimony, the jury found him guilty of a lesser charge of second-degree murder, as well as use of a vehicle in the discharge of a weapon and a gang-related offense. The jury recommended a sentence of 30 years in prison for the murder conviction. As of November 2025, the legal proceedings for the other defendants were ongoing.
