In the late hours of a spring night in Waterbury, Connecticut, a dispute that began inside the Levels nightclub spilled out into the streets, ending in the tragic death of 23-year-old Gregory Rafael Santos-Frias, a Hispanic male. On May 1, 2021, at approximately 11:30 p.m., in the vicinity of East Main and Wall streets, Santos-Frias was fatally shot. When police arrived at the scene, they found him with multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite the efforts of responding officers to render aid, Santos-Frias succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Another individual was also struck by gunfire, sustaining non-life-threatening wounds to the leg.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led to the identification of two suspects. Two days after the incident, on May 3, 2021, the Waterbury Police Department arrested 41-year-old Charles Smith in connection with the homicide. He was taken into custody while in possession of a firearm and was subsequently charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree assault, and a host of weapons offenses. At the time of his arrest, Charles Smith was on parole for a prior first-degree robbery conviction.
Further investigation identified a second individual involved in the fatal shooting. An arrest warrant was issued for 29-year-old Basil Smith, who was considered armed and dangerous. He was wanted for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and assault, among other charges. A month after the shooting, Basil Smith was apprehended in Mississippi by U.S. Marshals. Surveillance footage from the night of the incident reportedly captured both Basil Smith and Charles Smith confronting Santos-Frias before both men opened fire. It was reported that Santos-Frias was shot in the back of the head. The two suspects, who are not related, were both implicated in the crime.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, Charles Smith entered into a plea agreement to cooperate with prosecutors and was expected to testify against Basil Smith. He pleaded guilty to reduced charges of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm and criminal possession of a firearm. Basil Smith later accepted a plea agreement, pleading guilty under the Alford Doctrine to murder and criminal possession of a firearm. In May 2025, he was sentenced to 28 years in prison for his role in the death of Gregory Rafael Santos-Frias.
