Demetrius Antonio Portee, 35, was shot and killed on September 28, 2018, at a residence on Orion Street in Jacksonville, Florida. Police were initially called for a burglary and upon arrival upgraded the call to a shooting investigation after discovering Portee had been shot. Four other people were in the home; two fled the scene and one of those later was identified as the shooter.

Investigators tied the shooting to a drug dispute. Shawn Jamaal Smith, 33, was identified as the primary suspect and was apprehended hours later by the Atlantic Beach Police Department. He was found with a woman who had witnessed the shooting after the pair drove a vehicle off a bridge on State Road A1A into the water and then sought help at a Dunkin Donuts. Smith was arrested and charged with murder, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and aggravated assault, and was held without bond pending a scheduled court appearance on October 22, 2018.

What did neighbors or anyone who knew Demetrius notice about his activities or contacts in the weeks before September 28, 2018?