In the early morning hours of May 17, 2025, 4-year-old Jasper Kyle Smith was shot in a Lewiston, Maine, apartment on Pierce Street. Emergency responders rushed him to Central Maine Medical Center after a 911 call around 4:55 a.m., but he was pronounced dead at 7:08 a.m. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head from a 9mm handgun.

The firearm was legally registered to Jasper’s 35-year-old stepfather, Robert McCoy. Several family members were in the apartment when the shooting occurred, and relatives had reportedly raised concerns about the children’s welfare and living conditions before the death, including alleged calls to child protective services. After the case was investigated by the Lewiston Police Department and the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit, McCoy was arrested and charged with manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child on June 18, 2025. Jasper’s mother, 27-year-old Mikayla Smith, was also arrested that day on unrelated warrants, and the other children from the home were placed in state care.

Anyone who knew Jasper or has information about the household or events that morning is asked to share what they remember.