(Hartford, CT) – Sharmese L. Walcott, State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Hartford, today announced that a jury in Hartford Superior Court on September 17, 2024, found Jaziah Smith, age 22, of Hartford, guilty of Murder in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-54a. The conviction stems from the 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 to speak with Randell’s mother. She reported driving by the intersection of Garden Street and Nelson Street, where she stopped to speak to her brother. 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. The other two children in the vehicle were not struck by the gunfire. She drove immediately to the hospital but despite the efforts of the emergency room, the child succumbed to his injuries and passed away.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Robert Diaz, Assistant State’s Attorney Stacey Cox, with the assistance of Inspector Luis Rodriguez and Paralegal Specialists Lakisha Malave, Antoine Campbell, and Kelly Randall. The Honorable Nuala E. Droney presided over the trial.
State’s Attorney Walcott wishes to extend 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 for their hard work and dedication to resolving this case.
“The Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office is committed to being an integral part of protecting residents from the dangers of gun violence,” State’s Attorney 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 December 10, 2024 in Hartford Superior Court.