Kenneth Buck James Smith, 57, was fatally shot in New Orleans on Friday, March 17, 2023. Earlier that day he had been in a barbershop on Crowder Boulevard and complimented a young boy, calling him a king. The child’s father, 37-year-old Harold Brooks, became angered and an argument followed; Smith apologized and left the shop.

At about 2:15 p.m. that afternoon, while walking along the I-10 Service Road near Crowder Boulevard, Smith was shot. First responders found him with gunshot wounds and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses identified the shooter as the same man from the barbershop dispute. The New Orleans Police Department opened a homicide investigation and investigators later located and arrested Harold Brooks; he was charged with second-degree murder.

Smith was remembered by acquaintances as a very nice person who often tried to bless others. If anyone has information about what happened that afternoon, please come forward.