On a late summer evening in Meridian, Mississippi, the life of 20-year-old Demarcus Deangelo Smith was tragically cut short. On September 6, 2015, Smith, a Black male, was walking north on 25th Avenue near 16th Street with an associate. As they proceeded, they were passed by two other men heading in the opposite direction. In an abrupt and violent turn of events, one of the men who had just passed them began firing a weapon.
Smith was struck multiple times in the back.
He collapsed at the scene of the shooting and was quickly transported to a local hospital for medical attention. Despite the efforts to save him, he was later pronounced dead. The suddenness of the attack left a community in shock and a family grappling with a devastating loss. The associate who was with Smith at the time was unharmed.
The assailants fled the scene immediately after the shooting. Eyewitnesses reported seeing both suspects running from the area and then flagging down a vehicle to make their escape. The Meridian Police Department was provided with descriptions of the two individuals. The shooter was described as a light-complexioned Black male with freckles and short dreadlocks. He was reportedly wearing a black t-shirt, light-blue jeans, and had a red bandana in his back pocket. The second suspect was described as a skinny, dark-complexioned Black male with a small afro, who was wearing a black t-shirt and dark-colored jeans.
In the years that have followed the death of Demarcus Smith, his case has remained an open and unsolved homicide. Despite the detailed descriptions of the suspects provided to law enforcement, no arrests have been made in connection with his murder. The Meridian Police Department has continued to appeal to the public for any information that might lead to the identification and apprehension of the individuals responsible for this senseless act of violence. The case is now considered a cold case, a painful reminder of a life taken too soon and a quest for justice that continues.
