Family and friends gathered Tuesday night to honor the life of 21-year-old Yuri Smith, who was shot and killed at a Cocoa apartment complex.
Police say the shooting happened around 11 p.m. Monday at Oak Meadows Apartments, an apartment complex on Clearlake Road. According to investigators, Smith got into a fight with a 22-year-old man.
They say Smith was carrying a rifle when he approached that man — who then opened fire. Smith was taken to the hospital but later died from his injuries.
At a vigil held in his memory, dozens of people came together to remember him. “You can see there’s a lot of people here. A lot of people who loved him. And he will be truly missed,” said Myrakle Mitchell, Smith’s cousin. “He actually has a baby on the way — he has a baby girl on the way.”
Mitchell said Smith wouldn’t have wanted people to grieve too heavily. “He told me, personally, when he passed away, he didn’t want anyone to be sad. He wanted everyone to be happy,” she said.
The Cocoa Police Department said in a statement that “preliminary findings suggest the incident may have been justifiable under Florida’s Stand Your Ground laws and appears to have been an act of self-defense.”
That law allows a person to use deadly force, without retreating, if they believe their life is in imminent danger. Still, some neighbors told Channel 9 they’re uneasy about the ongoing violence. “I mean, I heard about a shooting before I moved in,” said Eddrick Piper, who lives nearby. “Sometimes I’m scared to even walk sometimes with stuff that happens around here.”
Cocoa police said the 22-year-old involved in the shooting is cooperating with the investigation. The department is working with the State Attorney’s Office to determine whether any charges will be filed.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Disclaimer: This news has been automatically collected from the source link above. Our website does not create, edit, or publish the content. All information, statements, and opinions expressed belong solely to the original publisher. We are not responsible or liable for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of any news, nor for any statements, views, or claims made in the content. All rights remain with the respective source.