A July house party in Medford, New York, escalated into a large street brawl around 1:30 a.m. on July 6, 2019, and resulted in the death of 36-year-old Darnell Smith of East Patchogue. Witnesses and callers reported a sizable group fighting near the corner of Cedar and West lanes. During the chaos someone opened fire and Smith was struck. He was taken to the Coram Fire Department and then transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A second person at the scene suffered a non-life-threatening stab wound.

Suffolk County police investigated and arrested 25-year-old Medford resident Corey Coach. Prosecutors say Coach provided a written confession and was identified by multiple witnesses as the shooter; he was charged with second-degree manslaughter and unlawful possession of a weapon and was arraigned in Central Islip with bail set at $500,000. What did neighbors or anyone who was there see that night that could explain how the fight turned deadly?