On July 4, 2020, at approximately 10:00 a.m., Hot Springs police officers conducted a welfare check at the intersection of Mica and Maiden Streets. They discovered 23-year-old Tristan Amaru Shakur Smith deceased in the backseat of a parked car, having suffered an apparent gunshot wound.
Following an investigation, authorities arrested 20-year-old Christopher Gipson on July 7, 2020, in connection with Smith's death.
Gipson was charged with capital murder, aggravated robbery, and theft by receiving. He was held at the Garland County Detention Center without bond.
The arrest followed a thorough investigation by the Hot Springs Police Department, which included interviews with witnesses and the collection of evidence from the crime scene. Details regarding the motive for the crime have not been publicly disclosed. As of now, there is no information available about any subsequent legal proceedings or outcomes related to this case.
