St. Petersburg Police have officially taken Corey Deron Battle into custody for the second-degree murder of Jerome Smith. This arrest comes in the wake of Smith being found in his home by a neighbor last Thursday, severely wounded from a gunshot. The neighbor's prompt call to the authorities at 8:47 p.m. led to Smith's urgent transport to the hospital, where he fought for his life for three days before succumbing to his injuries on Sunday, according to a social media post by the St. Petersburg Police Department.
Investigations following the grim discovery at the 800 block of 21st Avenue South have now pointed to Battle as the man behind the trigger. Police have pieced together a narrative, suggesting that Battle and Smith were not strangers but rather knew each other. A dispute at Smith's residence is believed to have tragically escalated, ultimately leading to the shooting.
An official press release by the St. Petersburg Police underscores that the investigation is ongoing: "This case is still an active investigation," further emphasizing the determination of law enforcement to untangle the sequence of events that led to Smith's death.
