A southwest Oklahoma City shooting that started as an assault case has now turned deadly, and police say the suspected gunman is in custody. The victim, identified by authorities as Justin King, was found with a gunshot wound on May 1 and died at a nearby hospital on May 8. Investigators say the suspect, Timothy Smith, was arrested this week as detectives kept working the case.
Police: Arrest Follows May 1 Shooting On SW 44th
Officers were called on May 1 to a home in the 1500 block of SW 44th Street, where they found King suffering from a gunshot wound, officials said. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died a week later, on May 8. Detectives later arrested Smith on an initial complaint of assault and battery with a deadly weapon, according to KFOR. Police told the outlet that the assault-and-battery complaint will be updated to reflect King’s death as investigators continue to gather evidence.
Neighborhood Pattern
The arrest lands in the middle of a run of gun violence in southwest Oklahoma City, where neighbors and local outlets have tracked multiple shootings this month. Hoodline has previously covered other recent incidents in the same general area, including a neck-shot case on a SW OKC corner and a party shooting that left a woman wounded, underscoring ongoing public-safety concerns along the south corridor.
What Comes Next
According to KFOR, Smith was booked on the assault-and-battery complaint, and prosecutors will now review the investigation to decide whether to file homicide charges. If the charge is upgraded, the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office would handle any amended counts and arraignment schedule. Detectives say they are still processing evidence from the scene and looking for witnesses who may have video or information about what happened.
How To Help
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Oklahoma City Police Department’s Homicide Tip Line at 405-297-1200, according to the City of Oklahoma City. Call 911 in an emergency.
