In the late afternoon of a snowy Thursday on February 9, 2017, the life of 34-year-old Caucasian male Joseph Smith was tragically cut short in Haverhill, Massachusetts. At approximately 4:45 p.m., police responded to reports of shots fired at an apartment building located at 25 Portland Street. Upon their arrival, they discovered Smith suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The alleged perpetrator, Sean LaRose, also 34 years old and from Haverhill, fled the scene in a stolen car just as police were arriving. An alert was issued for a red Mazda CX-9, and a manhunt ensued. Later that evening, Massachusetts State Police, including members of the Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, K-9 units, and Special Tactical Operations, located and arrested LaRose in the nearby town of Amesbury.
LaRose was subsequently charged with the murder of Joseph Smith and larceny of a motor vehicle. The following day, he was arraigned in Haverhill District Court where he pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors stated that witnesses had seen LaRose with a revolver in his hand, which was later recovered by law enforcement. Despite the arrest and the charges filed, a motive for the shooting was not immediately made public. LaRose was ordered to be held without bail. In the wake of his death, Joseph Smith's family remembered him as a son, grandson, brother, uncle, cousin, and best friend whose life was taken by an act of selfishness.
