On January 26, 2021, William Billy Lee Smith, 49, was fatally shot outside the Dollar General at 45 B. Wilson Road in Commerce, Georgia. Billy and his brother Phillip Smith were entering the store at about 7:35 p.m. when an unknown assailant opened fire. Both brothers were wounded and taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center; Billy later died of his injuries.

Investigators from the Commerce Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reviewed the store’s surveillance footage and released images of a possible suspect: a light-skinned male about 5 feet, 10 inches tall with dark hair who reportedly fled in a small dark-colored SUV. The motive has not been disclosed, and the case remained active and unsolved into late 2023 when authorities renewed their appeal for information.

If anyone knew Billy, saw activity near the Dollar General that evening, or recognizes the person in the surveillance images, please contact the investigators with any information.