In a tragic turn of events on November 22, 2014, 34-year-old Carrington Rondell Banks, a Black male from Lynchburg, Virginia, lost his life in his own home. The altercation that led to his death began over a dispute with his roommate, Garry Antione Smith. Banks had taken in Smith, who was the son of his father's cousin, after Smith's release from jail the previous December.
The fatal argument reportedly erupted when Smith disrespected Banks's 8-year-old son. As the confrontation escalated, Smith shot Banks point-blank in the chest. The single gunshot wound proved to be fatal, ending the life of a man remembered by his family as a loving father with plans to buy a home across the street from his parents.
Following the shooting, Garry Antione Smith Jr. was arrested and faced multiple charges, including second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of cocaine. Initially, Smith was charged with first-degree murder, but the charge was later reduced in exchange for his plea. In March 2016, Smith entered an Alford plea, not admitting guilt but acknowledging that the prosecution had enough evidence for a conviction.
In June 2016, a Lynchburg Circuit Court judge sentenced Smith to a total of 44 years and nine months in prison for his role in Carrington Banks's death. The sentence included 30 years for the second-degree murder charge, with additional time for the drug and firearms charges, as well as a suspended sentence from previous offenses. At the sentencing, Banks's mother spoke of the terror of her son being taken away and his love for his children.
