Syncere Kovey Smith, 16, was shot and killed in the parking lot of the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department carnival in Hollywood, Maryland, on July 15, 2022. The shooting happened about 10:57 p.m.; first responders already at the event found Syncere with multiple gunshot wounds and he died after being taken to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital. Another young man suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and was taken to a trauma center.

Police say witnesses provided a description of the shooter, and within minutes 19-year-old Devron Ny’Quez Murray was located at a nearby gas station and a 9mm handgun was recovered. Investigators determined the attack was connected to an ongoing dispute between rival youth groups and identified a second participant, Thomas Moreland. Both men were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder; both were later convicted for their roles in Syncere’s death.

Syncere was a Great Mills High School student who played football, ran track and loved basketball, hoping for a college scholarship. His family and community remember him for a bright, joking personality and a smile that lit up a room. If anyone at the carnival that night has information about the shooting or the dispute that led to it, please come forward.