In the early hours of Saturday, May 30, 2026, 45-year-old Franklin Smith Jr. of Cleveland was found in an upstairs bedroom of a home on Allston Road in Cleveland Heights with a gunshot wound. A disturbance involving a gun was reported at about 12:41 a.m., and officers began CPR on scene before paramedics transported Smith to a nearby hospital. He later died; the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide.

Detectives from the Cleveland Heights Police Department opened an immediate investigation. As of early June 2026, police had not announced any arrests and described the motive as unclear. The case remains open and active while investigators seek information from the public.

If anyone saw or heard anything in the Allston Road area around midnight on May 30, 2026, or has information about Franklin Smith Jr.s death, please contact the Cleveland Heights Police Department Detective Bureau.