Desmond Smith, 19, a Black male, was shot during a drive-by attack in the early morning hours on Washington Street in Ashdown, Arkansas, and was taken by private vehicle to Little River Memorial Hospital, where he died of a gunshot wound to the chest. Another 19-year-old, Samari Covington, was struck in the arm and transferred to a Texarkana hospital for treatment.
Witnesses reported that a red Dodge Charger pulled up and multiple rounds were fired from the vehicle, shattering the quiet of the neighborhood just after 1 a.m. on Sunday, July 16, 2017.
Investigators quickly circulated the vehicle description and, a short time later, Sevier County deputies and De Queen police stopped the suspected car. Joshua King of De Queen was identified by a witness as one of the occupants, and he and three others from the vehicle—whose ages ranged from 17 to 22—were detained without incident and held at the Sevier County Jail while formal charges were prepared. Authorities said no firearm used in the shooting had been recovered at that point, and an autopsy for Smith was expected at the Arkansas Crime Lab in Little Rock. Public updates in the immediate aftermath detailed the detentions and pending charges but did not announce final dispositions, leaving the case’s longer-term court outcomes unclear in available reporting.
