Aniece Marie Gonzalez, a 20-year-old female U.S. Navy sailor, was tragically killed on November 27, 2021, in Chesapeake, Virginia. The incident unfolded during the Thanksgiving weekend as a result of a domestic violence situation that escalated into a murder-suicide. Gonzalez was driving near the intersection of George Washington Highway North and Canal Drive when her husband, 22-year-old Collin Earl Smith-Aiken, shot her from the passenger seat of their car.
After the vehicle came to a
stop, Smith-Aiken exited, walked around briefly, and then shot himself. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he later died from his injuries. The Chesapeake Police Department quickly identified the event as a domestic murder-suicide. Witnesses at the scene reported hearing three gunshots and seeing the immediate aftermath. During the incident, Smith-Aiken also fired at another driver, causing a minor injury.
Following the tragedy, Gonzalez's mother, Candice Acampora, revealed a history of unreported domestic violence. She stated that her daughter had concealed the abuse but had confided in her about previous violent incidents. One such incident occurred on Thanksgiving night when Smith-Aiken reportedly broke Gonzalez's phone and television. Acampora also learned that he had previously pulled a gun on her daughter and had given her a black eye in August of that year, which Gonzalez had hidden with makeup. As the perpetrator, Collin Earl Smith-Aiken, died by suicide, there were no arrests or legal proceedings in this case.
