Cornelius Terell Smith was 37 when he was shot and killed in Tuscaloosa on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 11, 2024. Officers who responded to a call at the Forrester Gardens apartments on James I Harrison Jr Parkway found Smith with a gunshot wound; he later died from his injuries. The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit classified the death as a homicide and opened an investigation.

Investigators identified 50-year-old Cedric McClinton Jr. as a suspect and obtained warrants charging him with murder, attempted murder, and discharging a firearm into an unoccupied vehicle. McClinton evaded capture for a time while authorities sought public help. He was arrested in Kent, Washington, on February 5, 2025, and was being held there pending extradition back to Tuscaloosa to face the charges.

If anyone witnessed the December 11 shooting at Forrester Gardens or has information about Smith or McClinton’s movements that afternoon, please share what is known.