Shaneeka Michelle Smith, 33, a Black woman, was shot and killed on May 28, 2025, at the Oak Hill Apartments on North Greene Street in Wadesboro, North Carolina. Officers and emergency crews were called just after 8:35 p.m.; she was pronounced dead at the scene. Family members said she stepped in to shield her child as gunfire erupted while children were outside playing.

Local authorities reported a flurry of 911 calls around 8:38 p.m. and said a second woman was also struck and survived; her identity was not immediately released as she received medical care. Investigators focused quickly on a single suspect, 20-year-old Kea’yon Dorrell Richardson of Wadesboro. A first-degree murder warrant was issued, and Richardson was arrested on May 29, 2025, in Cheraw, South Carolina, and held without bond in the Anson County Jail while the homicide investigation continued.

Relatives and neighbors described chaos during the shooting and remembered Smith’s final act as protective and selfless; memorials and funeral notices confirmed her name, age, and the date and city of death. If anyone knew Shaneeka Smith or has information about the shooting, please come forward.