On the evening of October 10, 2020, a gathering in Saint Paul, Minnesota, turned tragic, ending the life of 44-year-old LaWanda Wade, a Black/African American female. The incident unfolded in a parking lot on Stevens Street West, where a heated argument escalated into a physical altercation.
Earlier in the evening, Wade had been grilling with people at her apartment. An argument reportedly broke out between Wade and a neighboring couple.
This dispute allegedly led to Wade throwing a grill at the couple, who then reportedly struck her with baseball bats. During this chaotic brawl, Wade was shot.
Responding to the scene, police discovered a frantic and grieving woman, Nicole Love Smith, attempting to aid her cousin, LaWanda Wade, who was lying face down on the ground. Wade was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival. An autopsy later revealed that a single gunshot to her back had penetrated her lung and heart. Another woman involved in the altercation also sustained a gunshot wound to her arm but was expected to survive.
In the immediate aftermath, police arrested 42-year-old Nicole Love Smith. She was subsequently charged with second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree attempted murder. According to witness statements and family members, it is believed that Smith was trying to protect Wade during the fight and accidentally shot her cousin while aiming for the other woman involved in the altercation. Smith initially denied shooting anyone, but she was identified by a 911 caller who stated the shooter had "accidentally shot her friend."
