Timothy Smith II

Timothy Smith II, a 21-year-old Black man who graduated from Murrah High School in Jackson, Mississippi in 2015, was just beginning to build his adult life. He had been a student-athlete, playing on the freshman basketball team during his time at Murrah. His life, full of potential, was tragically and violently cut short in his hometown on the evening of Tuesday, April 25, 2017.

The night of the shooting, Timothy was in a red Chevrolet car with a 21-year-old female companion on Marion Dunbar Street. An argument broke out between Timothy and another man, and the confrontation quickly escalated into deadly violence. The man produced what police believe was an assault rifle and fired dozens of shots into the vehicle. The sheer intensity of the attack was later evidenced by the approximately 32 shell casings investigators recovered from the street.

In the midst of the chaos, Timothy’s female passenger was shot twice as she tried to escape the car. Timothy, though critically wounded himself, managed to drive away from the scene of the shooting. His attempt to flee ended just two blocks away, where he crashed his car at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Monument Street. When first responders arrived, they found Timothy inside the vehicle, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries. The young woman who had been with him was rushed to a nearby hospital and was reported to be in stable condition.

The Jackson Police Department (JPD) began an immediate homicide investigation. JPD Commander Tyree Jones confirmed the details to the public, stating that the shooting stemmed from a disagreement. Police issued a description of the suspected gunman: a Black male, approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing about 180 pounds. They also released information about the suspect's vehicle, asking the public to be on the lookout for a white Ford Crown Victoria that was notable for having a spare tire on its rear passenger side.

Despite the initial leads and the public appeal for information, the investigation proved difficult. Investigators worked to piece together the events that led to the argument and identify the man who pulled the trigger. However, no motive for the killing was ever officially released. Months later, in early 2018, Commander Jones acknowledged that the department had not yet been able to determine who was responsible for Timothy's death. The case grew cold, and no arrests have been publicly announced in the years since.

The city of Jackson, which has long contended with a high rate of violent crime, lost another young life that day. The community was left to mourn and wonder why a simple disagreement had to end in a hail of gunfire. For Timothy's family and friends, the lack of resolution compounds their grief, leaving them without the closure that a conviction might bring. The search for justice in the killing of Timothy Smith II continues.

The Jackson Police Department has urged anyone with information about this unsolved homicide to come forward. Individuals can contact JPD directly at (601) 960-1234. For those who wish to remain anonymous, tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at (601) 355-8477. The case remains open, awaiting the one piece of information that could finally lead to an arrest and bring a measure of peace to Timothy's loved ones.