Kris Smith was 42 when he was shot and killed on the morning of December 11, 2020, in Louisville’s Portland neighborhood. He was found inside a vehicle on North 26th Street with gunshot wounds; emergency crews took him to University Hospital but he was pronounced dead. The shooting happened around 11:30 a.m.

Louisville Metro Police opened an investigation and asked the public for help. Detectives released a description of a vehicle of interest: a black, late-model Ram pickup truck with four doors and chrome trim, possibly carrying tires in the bed. Eyewitnesses reported seeing two males inside that truck at the time of the shooting. No arrests have been publicly announced.

Smith was known locally for his participation in protests and advocacy for social justice, and his death added to a violent year for the city. If anyone saw the truck on North 26th Street that morning or knows the identities of the two men, please come forward with information.