An Iowa man, identified as Jovien Smith, faces a slew of charges, including criminal homicide and attempted criminal homicide, following a tragic incident on Westchester Drive in Madison where gunfire resulted in the death of a 4-year-old girl and injuries to four others. Smith, 26, from Davenport, is being held on a $2.6 million bond after an altercation with his girlfriend spiraled into violence, according to the Nashville Police Department.
The situation unfolded after Smith and his 41-year-old girlfriend, an Illinois native, engaged in a verbal dispute while traveling to a family member's home in a Dodge minivan. Smith reportedly threw the woman's cell phone out the window and attempted to gain control of the vehicle, which his girlfriend managed to safely stop. It was then that Smith produced a pistol and opened fire, striking her multiple times before she could flee for help.
In a harrowing turn of events, authorities report that Smith directed his fire towards the five children in the minivan, hitting four of them. The violence left a four-year-old girl dead and two others, aged 7 and 1, in critical condition at Vanderbilt Pediatrics. The injured 41-year-old was able to seek help from nearby homes despite being chased by Smith, who was still armed. She was later hospitalized with serious injuries at Skyline Medical Center.
Responding officers from the Madison Precinct were quick to arrive at the scene, where they apprehended Smith without further incident. Alongside the murder and attempted murder charges, Smith also faces three counts of aggravated assault and one count of aggravated burglary.
