An 18-year-old named Jhavare Smith of Stratford was shot and killed in New Haven in the early morning of Sunday, June 15, 2025. Officers found him about 2:47 a.m. on the sidewalk of Tilton Street in the Dixwell neighborhood with a gunshot wound; he was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital and later died. The shooting happened outside a house party and was New Haven’s seventh homicide of the year.

Police said detectives were following several leads and were reviewing video that showed multiple vehicles fleeing the scene. Investigators recovered shell casings and live ammunition from two different calibers, and it was unclear whether that indicates more than one shooter or an exchange of gunfire. Officers also noted several fights downtown that night pulled resources away, and they are looking into a club Smith had visited earlier; a different non-fatal shooting victim from that night had also been at the same club. Smith, born August 2, 2006, played football locally and is remembered by family and friends for his bright spirit and smile.

No arrests have been announced. Did anyone who attended the party or was in Dixwell that night see vehicles leaving or other activity that could help investigators?