The close-knit community of South Phoenix is still reeling from the tragic loss of 72-year-old Joanne Smith, a beloved grandmother and great-grandmother, who was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting on Sunday, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. The Smith family and their friends are now left with heartache and unanswered questions as they try to comprehend the unexpected violence that erupted around 5:30 p.m. near 22nd Street and Roeser Road, which saw Smith killed while sitting in her front yard.
Details of the incident provided by the victim's family paint a chaotic scene – a vehicle drives by and suddenly the peace of a typical evening erupts in gunfire, moments later they're thrust into a nightmare as Joanne Smith is rushed to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, but she could not be saved, her son Thomas describing the rapid succession of shots, "all of a sudden, multiple gunshots," he recounted in a statement to FOX 10 Phoenix.
As reported by 12 News, the Phoenix Police Department has continued their investigation into the attack, but as yet, the suspects remain at large. The Smith family is calling for justice and pleading for community assistance asking anyone with information about the crime to step forward, Dana Burns, a friend of the victim reflected on her nature, saying, "She was the neighborhood granny" and "She never met a stranger."
Thomas Smith and others touched by Joanne's warm presence underscore that she was much more than a statistic of urban violence, she was a kind soul who loved her family, community, and sports, especially a fan of basketball icon LeBron James, and Thomas used to playfully encourage her to support local hero Devin Booker instead, "I used to joke with her all the time: Hey! Why don’t you move to LA! This is Phoenix. You got to start liking [Devin] Booker," Thomas told FOX 10 Phoenix. Now, an empty porch chair stands as a stark and silent testament to the loss endured by the Smith family and the community, a loss shared by friends like Debra Hollins who mourn the reality that "I’m going to be missing my angel again", she lamented in an interview with 12 News.
To aid with funeral expenses, Smith's family has established a GoFundMe campaign, inviting those moved by their story to contribute as they work through their grief. Simultaneously, the family continued their appeal for the community's help in solving the crime, a plea that extends to those who would remain silent, now that information crucial to the case could lead to a semblance of closure for a family stripped of their matriarch.
