On a school morning in Louisville, Kentucky, 16-year-old Tyree Smith was waiting for the bus with other students, just as he did every weekday. But on September 22, 2021, his routine was shattered by a drive-by shooting that ended his life. Tyree, a male student at Eastern High School, was described by his family as a loving, innocent, and caring young man.
His mother, Sherita Smith, said he was focused on school and work and was not involved in anything that would make him a target.
The shooting happened around 6:20 a.m. at a bus stop on the corner of Dr. W.J. Hodge and West Chestnut streets. A car drove past and someone inside opened fire on the group of students. Tyree was struck by gunfire and rushed to a local hospital, where he died from wounds to his abdomen and flank. Two other students were also injured in the attack: a 13-year-old boy who sustained non-life-threatening injuries and a 14-year-old girl who was grazed by a bullet. Prosecutors would later state that Tyree was not the intended target.
In the aftermath, the community was left reeling. The investigation revealed that the tragedy may have been preventable. Records showed that just weeks before Tyree was killed, another shooting had occurred at the same bus stop. Students, including Tyree’s younger sister, had reported the incident and other ongoing threats to officials at both the school district and the Louisville Metro Police Department. Believing that these warnings were not taken seriously, Tyree's mother filed a lawsuit against the school district, arguing that more could have been done to protect the students.
In December 2021, police arrested two 16-year-olds in connection with the shooting. The suspects, identified as Mekhi Cable and Demaurion Moore, were indicted on charges that included murder, assault, and wanton endangerment. They were also charged in the fatal shooting of another teenager that occurred on Thanksgiving Day 2021. Authorities announced that both Cable and Moore would be tried as adults for their alleged crimes.
Both young men were ultimately convicted for Tyree Smith's murder. Mekhi Cable rejected a plea deal, was found guilty by a jury, and was sentenced to serve 60 years in prison. Demaurion Moore was also convicted after he accepted a plea agreement for a recommended sentence of 35 years.
The case, however, was not fully closed. During a court hearing in September 2024 that was scheduled for his formal sentencing, Demaurion Moore asked the judge to allow him to withdraw his guilty plea. The request was a frustrating development for Tyree’s mother, who had attended every court date seeking justice for her son. "You took innocent lives," she said. "Be a man and accept your fate." As of that hearing, the court had not yet ruled on Moore's request.
