Cornelius S. Smith, 27, was shot and killed during a child exchange in Decatur, Illinois, on the morning of Friday, January 9, 2026. The shooting occurred just before 11 a.m. on the front porch of a residence in the 1200 block of West Marietta Street. Smith was taken to a hospital where he died of at least one gunshot wound.

According to police, the exchange turned violent after 26-year-old Keishaun R. Thomas arrived to pick up a child he shared with a woman at the home. A mutual physical altercation erupted between Thomas and Smith; a second man at the scene tried to intervene. Thomas then retrieved a Glock 19 9mm from his car and shot Smith, also firing in the direction of the unarmed man who was running away. That man was not injured. Thomas later went to the police station with his father, confessed, and surrendered the pistol.

Thomas was arrested and initially charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm; he was later charged with first-degree murder. A judge denied pretrial release and Thomas remained detained in the Macon County Jail pending trial as of January 2026. Does anyone with knowledge of the household, the child exchange, or either man’s movements that morning have information to share?