Family honors teen killed in Tom Lee Park shooting

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Family and friends honored a teen who was killed in a shooting at Tom Lee Park on Sunday.

The shooting occurred during the Foodees Food and Culture Festival at Tom Lee Park.

Anthony Smith, 17, was identified by his family as the person who was killed in the shooting.

Police released information that the suspect is believed to be a young person wearing all black and including a ski mask during the shooting.

“It’s a lot of emotions. It’s a lot of them, mixed, angry, hurt, sad just hurt,” said Great-Aunt, Shamena Alson.

Family said Smith went to Hamilton High.

Alston says what hurts more is she saw her nephew the day before the shooting, not knowing it would be their last time together. 

She says Smith was also known as “cornbread” by his family, and when grieving, she could still feel the love for her great-nephew.

“I didn’t want to believe, I was scared, I prayed I didn’t want to manifest death over him I was scared, I just didn’t want to believe it,” said Alston.

The family says those responsible took a teen who was good at basketball, and he loved his family and had his own plans for the future.

“The way they did him I mean like, that was a lot of hatred and it’s sad it’s that much evil in the world,” said Alston. “My nephew didn’t deserve it, he didn’t I promise he didn’t he was a great kid.”

“Now we know that a lot of people are afraid to call, some people are afraid it’s not anonymous and that’s why we are constantly saying to people we never know who you are. It truly is anonymous if you make a phone call or send us a text,” said David Wayne Brown, CEO of CrimeStoppers of Memphis and Shelby County.

WREG counted many cameras near the crime scene, and there were hundreds of people in the area for the Foodees Food and Culture Festival at Tom Lee Park.

“It could be the smallest thing you saw, it could be color of clothing that someone was wearing and then that could be put together with something else and pretty soon detectives have enough to work on,” said Brown.