Crime
26-Year-Old Jovien Smith Opens Fire on Mother and Five Children in Madison, 4-Year-Old Girl Killed
MADISON, TN – A Davenport, Iowa man is in custody following a horrific shooting in a Nashville suburb that claimed the life of a young child and left multiple family members wounded.
Authorities say 26-year-old Jovien Smith is being held on a $2.6 million bond after he allegedly shot his girlfriend and four of her five children late Saturday night during a visit to Tennessee.
The incident occurred on Westchester Drive in Madison, where Smith and his partner—a 41-year-old woman from Illinois—were traveling in a Dodge minivan with her five children as part of a weekend family visit.
According to Metro Nashville Police, the couple began arguing inside the vehicle while driving.
At some point during the escalating altercation, Smith reportedly threw the woman’s cellphone out the window and attempted to wrestle control of the steering wheel, apparently trying to cause a crash.
The woman managed to pull the minivan over safely to the roadside. It was then, police say, that Smith produced a firearm and opened fire, shooting the woman multiple times at close range.
Despite her injuries, she was able to flee the vehicle and run toward nearby homes seeking help.
Tragically, Smith then turned the gun on the children. Four of the five juveniles in the van were shot. All victims were transported to Vanderbilt Pediatrics Children’s Hospital, where a 4-year-old girl succumbed to her injuries.
A 7-year-old and a 1-year-old remain in critical condition, while the condition of the fifth child has not been disclosed publicly.
After firing at the children, Smith allegedly pursued his injured partner on foot as she sought assistance.
Officers from the Madison Police Precinct responded swiftly to 911 calls and took Smith into custody at the scene without further incident.
The woman was airlifted to Skyline Medical Center, where she remains hospitalized with serious but stable injuries.
Smith now faces a lengthy list of charges, including:
- One count of felony murder
- Five counts of attempted murder
- Three counts of aggravated assault
- One count of aggravated robbery
Investigators continue to work on gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses.
Authorities have not yet released a possible motive beyond the reported domestic dispute, and no prior criminal history has been publicly disclosed at this time.
The case has deeply shaken the local community, with law enforcement and child advocacy groups expressing outrage and grief over the violent attack against a mother and her children.
Authorities have identified the man shot and killed Friday afternoon in a parking lot outside a Little Caesars restaurant in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.
The victim has been named as Stevens Jeffrey, 29, according to police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The shooting occurred in the 2600 block of West Cermak Road near Rockwell Street at approximately 1:10 p.m., according to the Chicago Police Department (CPD).
Preliminary reports indicate that Jeffrey was sitting in his vehicle when he was approached by an unknown vehicle.
An armed individual exited that vehicle and opened fire, striking Jeffrey multiple times in the face and body.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene, where Jeffrey was pronounced dead. He was discovered inside his vehicle with his two young children, ages 4 and 6, who were unharmed.
Both children were transported to Stroger Hospital for precautionary evaluation.
The shooting took place in the parking lot of a Little Caesars restaurant, where investigators recovered multiple shell casings and placed numerous evidence markers on the ground.
As of Friday evening, no suspects are in custody, and detectives from the CPD Area Four Homicide Unit are leading the investigation. Police have not released information on a possible motive.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about this homicide to contact Chicago Police or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTip.com.