In the Payne-Phalen neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota, the evening of December 9, 2018, was shattered by the sound of multiple gunshots. Patrolling officers in the area heard the gunfire shortly after 9 p.m. near the intersection of Payne Avenue and Jessamine Avenue East. When they arrived at the scene, they discovered two individuals inside a vehicle, both suffering from gunshot wounds.
One of the victims was 19-year-old Taishawn Smith, a Black/African American male.
Both he and the other wounded person were rushed to Regions Hospital for medical attention. While the second victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, Smith succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead. Homicide investigators and the police department's forensic services unit spent hours at the location, canvassing the area for witnesses and gathering evidence. A silver Nissan Altima was a particular focus of their investigation.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, one person was taken into custody on suspicion of aiding an offender. However, as of a few days following the incident, no charges had been filed in direct connection with Smith's murder, and no clear motive for the shooting had been publicly suggested by law enforcement.
Months before his death, Smith had been involved in a separate, gang-related incident that resulted in a fatality. In connection with that March 2018 event, which took place outside a party bus, he pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree riot. A witness had claimed Smith was fighting with people who were not his friends, though Smith told police he was acting as a peacemaker. He was sentenced to time already served in jail and was on five years of probation at the time of his death. The investigation into his own homicide remained ongoing.
