Robert Allen Smith, 59, of Thomasville, North Carolina, was found shot and lying in the street on November 17, 2017. A driver discovered him around 2:30 a.m. in the 200 block of Church Street and called 911, initially thinking it was a hit-and-run; officers determined Smith had been shot and he later died at the hospital. Detectives canvassed the neighborhood, questioned residents and executed a search warrant at an apartment on Church Street where Smith was last seen alive. Police believe he was shot at or near that apartment and then walked down the sidewalk before collapsing in the road.

Smith’s mother, Sarah Smith-Love, said she learned first that her son had been struck by a car and later was told he’d been shot; she rushed to the hospital and did not get to say goodbye. No suspects have been named and investigators were awaiting autopsy results while seeking public tips. If anyone has information about Smith’s movements that night or why he was at the Church Street apartment, contact the police or Crime Stoppers.