On December 31, 2023, at approximately 10:25 p.m., 36-year-old Leo Campos was fatally shot in the 1700 block of Glenview Drive in Perris, California. Responding to multiple reports of an assault with a deadly weapon, deputies from the Perris Sheriff's Station arrived to find Campos suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite immediate first aid efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation quickly identified 41-year-old David Christopher Smit, a resident of Perris, as the suspect. According to sheriff's Investigator Lance Stoyer, shortly after 10 p.m. on December 31, Smit and Campos were involved in an unspecified confrontation during which Smit allegedly drew a handgun and shot Campos at close range. Smit was arrested without incident the following morning near the location of the shooting.
Smit, a convicted felon with prior convictions for grand theft and domestic violence, was charged with murder, attempted murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations. He made his initial court appearance on January 9, 2024, before Superior Court Judge Walter Kubelun, who appointed him a public defender and scheduled his arraignment for February 5 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Smit is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.
The tragic death of Leo Campos has left the Perris community in mourning. A memorial page has been created in his honor, where friends and family have lit candles and shared memories to commemorate his life.
