On the evening of October 25, 2024, in the small borough of Woodbine, New Jersey, the life of 22-year-old Daquann Smith of Whitesboro was tragically cut short. At approximately 11 p.m., the sound of gunfire echoed through the 300 block of Madison Avenue. When New Jersey State Police arrived at the scene, they discovered Smith with fatal gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Smith was a Black male.
The Cape May County Prosecutor's Office and the New Jersey State Police launched a joint investigation into the shooting death. Authorities began the process of gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and pursuing all available leads to understand the events that led to the tragedy. In the days following the shooting, the community mourned, with a candlelight vigil and balloon release organized at the Martin Luther King Center in Whitesboro to honor Smith's memory.
A GoFundMe page was also established to assist his family with funeral expenses.
The investigation led to a significant development in early November. A suspect, 34-year-old Hakeem Denby of Vineland, was arrested and charged in connection with Smith's death. Denby faces serious charges, including first-degree murder and multiple weapons offenses. Following his arrest, he was held at the Cape May County Justice Facility pending a detention hearing. Authorities stated that Denby was on parole at the time of the incident, having been released from Bayside State Prison in June of the previous year after serving part of a sentence on a gun charge.
