Hartford Man Guilty Of Killing 3-Year-Old In 2021: State

Crime & Safety

Hartford Man Guilty Of Killing 3-Year-Old In 2021: State The toddler was in the back seat of a vehicle and was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Hartford.

HARTFORD, CT — A 22-year-old Hartford resident has been found guilty in the fatal, drive-by shooting of a 3-year-old in 2021.

Sharmese L. Walcott, Hartford state's attorney, said Friday a jury in Hartford Superior Court Sept. 17 found Jaziah Smith, 22, of Hartford, guilty of murder in connection with an April 2021 fatal shooting of 3-year-old Randell Jones Jr.

According to evidence introduced at the trial, on April 10, 2021, police were dispatched to Saint Francis Hospital's emergency room in Hartford to speak with Randell's mother.

Walcott said she reported driving by the intersection of Garden Street and Nelson Street, where she stopped to speak to her brother.

According to Walcott, a car then drove up and started shooting at her vehicle and then fled the scene.

When she looked in the back seat to check on her children, she saw that Randell had been shot, Walcott said.

The other two children in the vehicle were not struck by the gunfire.

Walcott said the mother drove immediately to the hospital but, despite the efforts of the emergency room, the child succumbed to his injuries and died.

Walcott extended "deepest sympathy" to the parents who lost their child, along with gratitude to the Hartford Police Department and the Hartford State's Attorney's Office prosecution team.

"The Hartford State's Attorney's Office is committed to being an integral part of protecting residents from the dangers of gun violence," Walcott said. "This verdict sends a message to offenders that if you commit gun violence in our community, we will be working closely with the Hartford Police Department and other law enforcement officials to make sure you are held accountable."

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10, in Hartford Superior Court.

For the full announcement, click on this link.

From April 19, 2021: 'Police Make Arrest In Homicide Of Hartford 3-Year-Old'