Lawton murder victim identified | News

A witness told The Constitution that Smith was speaking with someone inside a gray pickup truck or SUV moments before the sound of several gunshots was heard. A neighbor's security camera captured video of the vehicle driving away, according to the witness.

Police arrived and found Smith lying on the ground and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, Blessing said. The injured man was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Blessing had no other information available.

Stevie Burris, Smith's stepfather of 21 years, was parked across the street from where Smith was shot. He said the young man was not violent. It was small and wouldn't hurt anyone, he said. He didn't understand why anyone would want to kill him.

“I want answers,” he said, “his mother, his sister want answers.”

Burris said Smith was living with different friends and had no fixed home at the time.

“He was still trying to find himself,” he said.

Burris remembered the club-footed young boy he helped put on shoes and helped grow into a man. He still remembers his son's innocent face.

“We called him Boobie,” he said.

Burris noted that Smith's Facebook page offered information about potential people he might have had “arguments” with. He said he hoped it wasn't true, the potential motive could be a misunderstanding between the young man and another person over a cell phone. It's not worth a life, he said. But he also doesn't know if it's a false lead.

“I know there’s something there,” he said, “but I don’t know if that’s what happened last night.” I just want to know what happened.

Smith's death is the city's seventh homicide, according to Constitution records.

If you have any information about the incident, call the Lawton Police Department at 580-581-3272 or Crime Stoppers of Southwest Oklahoma at 580-355-4636.