Adrian Latwan Smith Sr., 39, known to friends and family as Tiko, was shot and killed on the evening of May 31, 2023, in the parking lot of the Express Beverage store on Lockbourne Road in Columbus, Ohio. At about 8:26 p.m., several people inside a vehicle opened fire; Adrian was struck and pronounced dead at the scene. A second person was wounded but left the area and later called for help.

The investigation into Adrian’s death expanded beyond the shooting. By December 2023 a Franklin County grand jury returned a 60-count indictment naming six people in connection with a criminal enterprise in south Columbus; the charges included the murder of Adrian and crimes tied to a human trafficking ring and narcotics-related activity. Two men arrested in July 2023, James Antwan Dukes-Johnson and Michael Anthony Davis, were among those charged.

Adrian was a father of nine, a former Golden Glove boxing champion and worked as a bouncer in his community. If anyone has information about the shooting or the groups involved, please share what is known with investigators.