Family searches for answers after North Las Vegas man shot in car

Sasha Loftis
·2 min read
2

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Weeks after a North Las Vegas man was shot and killed while driving his car, his family is speaking about what he meant to them, while they also seek justice.

“He was very playful,” Desiree Smith said. “He was very funny.”

Smith spoke about her cousin, Justin Smith, sharing everything she will miss about him.

“I don’t have an older brother in my life,” she said. “So he was like that figure to me.”

The 28-year-old, who also worked as a local rapper, was murdered on March 5, leaving his family still searching for closure.

“I got a call,” Smith said, remembering when she got the news. “And it was probably the worst call I’ve ever gotten in my life.”

North Las Vegas Police said Justin Smith was shot while driving his car in a neighborhood near Tropical Parkway and Commerce Street.

<em>North Las Vegas Police said Justin Smith was shot while driving his car in a neighborhood near Tropical Parkway and Commerce Street. (Desiree Smith)</em>
North Las Vegas Police said Justin Smith was shot while driving his car in a neighborhood near Tropical Parkway and Commerce Street. (Desiree Smith)

He was taken to the hospital, where he died a week later, according to officers. Police are still searching for the shooter.

“I don’t think I even understood it,” Desiree Smith told 8 News Now. “Because it was so violent, so tragic.”

She said the whole situation understandably has rocked her family and now they are hoping for justice in the case.

“We don’t know what happened,” Smith said. “But what we can do is try to keep Justin’s name alive.”

She said she also wants anyone else going through the same heartbreak to know they are not alone.

“Lean on your family, lean on your people,” she said, speaking to others struggling. “Lean on your community.”

Smith told 8 News Now she and her family will continue to do anything they can to share what Justin brought to Southern Nevada and the world.

“He had a very sweet, soft side to him,” she concluded.

8 News Now also reported on 23-year-old Darreal ‘Deuce’ Bennett last week. He was also shot and killed while driving his car near Commerce Street and Carey Avenue. North Las Vegas Police believe these are both isolated incidents.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to assist the family. Anyone who may have information about either crime is urged to contact the North Las Vegas Police Department by phone at 702-633-9111. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555, or on the internet at www.crimestoppersofnv.com.

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