Damon Smith

Damon Lee Smith, a 36-year-old African-American man known to friends as "Dame," was a lifelong resident of Oakland, California, remembered for his kind and gentle soul. Born on May 15, 1977, to Cheryl Bowling and Timothy Smith, Damon was a graduate of Dewey High School's class of 1995. Over the years, he worked for several local employers, including the Coliseum Flea Market, Goodwill, and Caltrans. Those who knew him said he never met a stranger and was loved by all who had the opportunity to make his acquaintance. Though he could be quiet, he was also outgoing with a loving heart and a generous nature. His interests were varied and included writing and recording music with friends, playing video games and dominoes, barbecuing, and buying and selling cars. Above all, his greatest joy was his son, Jayce, born in 2010. Damon cherished the time he spent raising his son and being with his family and friends.

The life of this beloved father and friend was cut short on the evening of Wednesday, February 12, 2014. Damon was with a group of people in Oakland's Fruitvale district when an unknown assailant approached and began shooting. The attack occurred in the 3700 block of International Boulevard, a busy commercial thoroughfare that cuts through the heart of the neighborhood. When the gunfire ceased, four people had been shot. Damon Smith was fatally wounded and died at the scene.

The three other victims, a 24-year-old man and two women, aged 18 and 26, survived their injuries. The Oakland Police Department responded to the chaotic scene and immediately launched a homicide investigation. Detectives worked to piece together the events that led to the shooting, but their efforts were quickly met with challenges. The motive for the attack was not immediately clear, and investigators were unable to determine if Damon or one of the other individuals was the intended target.

The investigation was further complicated by a lack of cooperation from some of the surviving victims. The 24-year-old man who was wounded was reportedly uncooperative with police, a factor that significantly hindered the search for answers and justice. This silence from witnesses is a recurring issue in many of Oakland's violent crime cases, often stemming from fear of retaliation or a deep-seated mistrust of law enforcement. Without crucial eyewitness information, identifying the person or persons responsible for Damon's death proved to be an immense challenge for the investigators.

In the days following the shooting, the Oakland Police Department and Crime Stoppers of Oakland announced a reward of up to $25,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspects involved in the murder of Damon Smith. Authorities urged anyone with knowledge of the crime to come forward, providing two tip lines for the public to share information, even anonymously. The case was handled by the Oakland Police Department's homicide division, which at the time was grappling with a significant number of violent crimes across the city.

Damon was preceded in death by his father, Timothy Smith, and his grandmother, Lillian Jones. He left behind his cherished son, Jayce; his mother, Cheryl Bowling; a sister, Cheree Williams; his grandmother, Beatrice Tyson; and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and close friends who continue to mourn his loss. As of February 2014, his murder remained unsolved, another name added to the list of lives lost to gun violence in Oakland. The reward for information is still active, and police continue to ask anyone with information to call their homicide section at 510-238-3821 or the Crime Stoppers tip line at 510-777-8572.