Brandon D. Smith, 45, known locally as Coach Bran, was killed after being shot in Farrell, Pennsylvania. The confrontation began inside Yank’s Place on Idaho Street on the early morning of Sunday, September 21, 2025, and moved outside. Smith was struck in the chest by gunfire and taken to UPMC Horizon Shenango, where he was pronounced dead at 2:24 a.m. The Mercer County Coroner’s Office ruled the death a homicide.

Smith was a head coach for Farrell youth programs and worked as a maintenance technician at the Mercer County Housing Authority. The dispute involved Smith and another man, identified by police as 34-year-old Michael Alan Cox Jr. A woman attempting to drive Cox away from the bar left with him, and Cox allegedly began shooting from the passenger side of the vehicle.

The City of Farrell Police Department, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police, investigated. Cox later turned himself in and was charged with criminal homicide and aggravated assault; he was being held at the Mercer County Prison without bail. Does anyone who knew Smith or witnessed the incident have information that could help clarify what happened that night?