In the early morning hours of April 16, 2016, the quiet of a Phoenix, Arizona neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Responding to a shots fired call near 35th Avenue and Baseline Road around 2:30 a.m., police discovered Robert James Smith Jr., a 46-year-old Black / African American male, lying in the middle of the street. He had sustained several gunshot wounds.
Emergency services transported Smith to a local hospital for treatment of his critical injuries.
Despite the efforts of medical personnel, he succumbed to his wounds two days later, on April 18, 2016. Witnesses at the scene reported hearing the gunshots and then seeing a vehicle driving south on 31st Drive before turning eastbound on Fremont Road. However, they were unable to provide a detailed description of the car or its occupants.
The investigation into the death of Robert James Smith Jr. has remained open in the years since the incident. Phoenix police have not publicly identified any suspects in the shooting. The motive for the crime also remains unknown. With no arrests made, the case has grown cold.
In an effort to generate new leads, the Silent Witness program has offered a $1,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for Smith's death. Authorities continue to urge anyone with knowledge of the shooting, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward and help bring closure to the family of Robert James Smith Jr.
