In a shocking turn of events, a 17-year-old girl and a 19-year-old man have been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of the girl’s older brother in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The victim, 20-year-old Rae’quan Smith, was fatally shot in February on Southwest 266th Street in Naranja, a neighborhood in Miami-Dade County.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Deashia Smith, the victim’s younger sister, and Elton Hightower are both facing charges of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon. The authorities arrived at the crime scene just before midnight on the day of the incident, only to find that the victim had already been transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The investigation led by the deputies revealed that both Hightower and Deashia Smith had allegedly fired shots towards Rae’quan Smith. It was also discovered that Deashia Smith was in possession of a firearm that was used in the homicide. The Smith siblings shared the same address in Homestead, Florida, while Hightower resided in Florida City.
Further details emerged when a criminal complaint was reviewed. The complaint stated that the firearm was found at Deashia Smith’s residence during the execution of a search warrant. It was also revealed that Deashia Smith’s mother and sister were aware of her owning a gun, but the mother claimed that her daughter had intentionally hidden the firearm from her.
A witness provided a firsthand account of the shooting to the police. The witness claimed that both Hightower and Deashia Smith had fired their weapons at the victim, who was standing on the side of the street, before fleeing the scene.
Deashia Smith and Hightower were apprehended on Wednesday. At the time of her arrest, Deashia Smith was already in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a separate charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, as reported by local news outlet WPLG.