MEMPHIS, TN — A Memphis man is facing a second-degree murder charge after allegedly fatally shooting his girlfriend, 23-year-old Jyrah Smith, in the head with a shotgun outside his apartment in the early hours of May 23.
The suspect, 27-year-old Deangelo Mitchell, turned himself in later that day after initially fleeing the scene, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by NBC affiliate WMC-TV. Police responding to the shooting found Smith’s body at the entrance of Mitchell’s second-floor apartment on East Georgia Avenue, along with a single spent shotgun shell inside.
Mitchell reportedly told police he awoke to voices and knocking at his door, prompting him to arm himself with a shotgun. He claimed he believed a man with dreadlocks was outside and fired a single round after an argument broke out. It wasn’t until after pulling the trigger that Mitchell realized he had shot his girlfriend. He then discarded the weapon and left without calling for help, authorities said.
Smith, a mother of three children aged 1, 3, and 6, was discovered by her brother as he was leaving for work. He later told police that Mitchell had previously threatened to kill both Smith and her children.
“She didn’t tell me about this situation. I didn’t even know she was dating this man,” Smith’s father told CBS affiliate WREG, adding that the pair had only been seeing each other for two months.
The father described the incident as a preventable case of domestic violence. “He also had a bond condition that he broke and he should have been in jail… the system failed,” he told local news station WHBQ.
Court documents show Mitchell has a history of domestic violence charges dating back to 2019, including violations of bond conditions related to those earlier cases.
Mitchell remains in Shelby County Jail on a $760,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on June 9.
