On the morning of June 29, 2022, the body of 23-year-old Jeremy Smith, an African American man, was found along River Road Pike in Nashville by a passerby at about 8 a.m. Smith was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and pronounced dead of a gunshot wound.

Metro Nashville Police Department Homicide Unit detectives identified 22-year-old Labrian Elliott as a suspect after security footage showed Smith picking up Elliott in the Cayce Homes area on South 8th Court earlier that day. Elliott was arrested on unrelated outstanding warrants for aggravated robbery and burglary, and during a homicide interview he admitted involvement, saying Smith acted strangely, he took Smith’s gun and shot him, then cleaned blood from the vehicle, parked it near Smith’s home, and walked to his residence. Motive remains under investigation.

Elliott was charged with criminal homicide and was also facing two aggravated robbery counts and a burglary of a motor vehicle charge; one robbery count is tied to a May 30, 2022, hold-up at D.B. Todd Market. Officers additionally recovered a handgun reported stolen in December 2021 when Elliott was arrested. Anyone with information about Jeremy, his movements that morning, or the events leading to his death is asked to come forward.