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'I Heard Bam Bam Bam!' 14-Year-Old Found Shot to Death Near Greensboro Park: Police

Police say Kingmenmireseti Smith was found dead from gunshots in the woods near Sussman Park in Greensboro early Monday morning.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greensboro Police say detectives will go door-to-door Tuesday, July 16, to find answers on the death of 14-year-old Kingmenmireseti Smith, who was found shot to death at Sussman Park earlier this month. 

Greensboro Police found Smith hurt near the intersection of Sussman Street and Ashe Street just before 5 a.m. July 1. He died from his injuries. 

Police officers were responding to an aggravated assault call.  A woman visiting a neighbor at the Hampton Homes told WFMY News 2 she heard gunshots while on her porch having coffee. 

"About 4 or 5 o'clock this morning, I heard 'bam, bam, bam' well I thought it was fireworks and someone is starting early. I never dreamed in a million years of somebody shooting and we have kids here running around," said Bonnie Cecil.

Cecil said moments later, she heard police sirens and the street was cordoned off. 

One neighbor told WFMY she has three little kids and she feared for her family's safety.

"There have been broad daylight shootings every single month that I have been here, 2 blocks down the street, a house down the street, it's getting too close to where I  live and it is scary, it is scary to know I am in the middle," said the neighbor who did not want to be identified by name.

"I can't do anything about it, I feel helpless, I feel hopeless and it is very frustrating and the police, yes they ride up and down these streets but they are never here when it happens, never her," she said.

Greensboro Police confirmed there have been 7 shootings in the neighborhood since January 2019 but the shooting death of Smith was the first homicide.

911 audio recording revealed there was a group of boys playing on the basketball court at the park when someone drove up in a car and shot at them.

"He was a very sweet boy, respectful and everything, he was like another son to me," said Tiffany Gilles whose 15-year-old daughter was friends with Smith. 

Jenascia Gilles said Smith had sent her a text message just last week.

"He said 'Sis, I am going through it right now, can we link up with each other?' and that's when he said he loved me and he missed me and all that," said Gilles.

Anyone with information about this case should call Crime Stoppers at (336) 373-1000 or text keyword badboyz and the tip to 274637. All calls to Crime Stoppers are completely anonymous. Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers will pay a cash reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest or indictment of the individual responsible.

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