Funeral for 29-year-old man killed in drive-by shooting in downtown Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Just a few weeks ago, the Smith family held a vigil after finding out that Dentrell Smith, 29, had been shot and killed in an April 25 drive-by shooting on V Street.

Today, the family said their final goodbyes Friday at a funeral, honoring his life and legacy. His friend Richard Shriver will always remember Smith's smile.

“Dontrell was a generous man, if you needed anything from Dontrell he was there to help you,” Shriver said. “Sometimes you just needed someone to talk to and Dontrell had a smile so bright it lit up a room.”

Police say the shooting was gang-related and the suspects were members of the East Side Crips street gang, rivals of the victim, who was a member of the Bloods street gang. Smith's family and friends maintain he was not part of a gang or affiliated with the Bloods street gang.

“Automatically, a black man is lying on the ground and he’s suspected of being a gang member or a drug dealer,” Shriver said. “I think it’s just one of the most ignorant things. I don't think anyone should be judged by the environment they live in.

Bakersfield police arrested Marlon Burch, 31, and Rodney Gipson, 35, on charges of murder and participation in a criminal street gang. Burch and Gipson pleaded not guilty in April and are being held without bail.

Community advocate Wesley Davis Jr. said the senseless violence in the city must stop.

“It’s just terrible, it continues to be a vicious cycle,” Davis Jr. said.

Smith leaves behind a wife, five children and one on the way.

“It's a travesty of this family and what I learned at the vigil, this guy was a pillar in his little corner of the country, in his community, with so many little kids there who were absolutely distraught that “He wouldn't be there to cheer them on anymore,” Davis said. “So he's the kind of man that this community, this immediate area is going to miss.

Burch and Gipson will return to court for their next hearings in July.