Family: 2 people arrested for fatal shooting of 16-year-old Eastern HS student at bus stop

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two people are in custody in connection with the murder of a 16-year-old Louisville student who died after he was shot while waiting at a school bus stop, according to the family of the victim.

Tyree "Ty" Smith was killed in a drive-by shooting the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 22, while two other students — a 13-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl — were injured. They were all at a school bus stop at the corner of Dr. W.J. Hodge and West Chestnut streets, waiting to catch a bus for Eastern High School.

Sherita Smith, Tyree's mother, told WDRB News about the suspects and released a statement on Wednesday afternoon:

"I would just like to say thanks for the support of the community, my family and friends, all the community leaders that have been reaching out to my family, including Stachelle Bussey, Jecorey Arthur, Remix shoe store, Being 2gether llc, all the detectives on the case, Tyree's teachers from elementary, middle and high school that have called and prayed with and for us, all of Tyree's friends and his co-workers at McDonald's. I also want to thank people all over the world that have prayed for my family since day 1. I am thankful that the suspects are caught, and not only do they need to be held accountable for their actions but the parents need to be held accountable for their kids actions, especially when a human life was taken. I want the suspects to know that they will remember Tyree Smith's name and how their actions lead to his death and how it affects us daily."

The identities of the suspects have not been released.

"I would never in a million years think it would be Tyree, no," said Smith's great aunt, Charletta Anderson. "I'm still stunned about it."

Tyree was pronounced dead at the hospital, but days after the shooting, Smith said a piece of her died too.

"We go there at the scene, and my son was laying back with his eyes open," Smith said, remembering how she looked over her son saying "Ty, I'm here. I'm here."

"She's very strong and still needs all the love and support she can get," said Anderson, who, like so many others, wants answers.

"I don't see how they can sleep at night. My conscience wouldn't let me rest if I did anything to anyone, especially if I took someone's life."

Smith was 21st juvenile killed in Louisville in 2021. His murder re-sparked the debate on whether Jefferson County Public Schools should have school resource officers. Just hours after the shooting, LMPD Chief Erika Shields told reporters at a news conference that JCPS needed its own police force.

"We can't sit here with our thumbs up our ass, do nothing different and think we won't be back at this podium," Shields said. "So I can promise you I will be banging that drum loudly, because we have to change the paradigm."

She reiterated her call in a video posted to Twitter by Louisville Metro Police days after the shooting.

"To be clear, LMPD has no desire to be in the schools," Shields said. "That is not our role. There are many successful school resource officer programs across the country, and I would hope that between the teachers, the students and the parents of students, we could all come to an agreement on what would best help us make this city safe."

JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio said he was "disappointed" by that turn in the discussion.

"I'm very disappointed that one of our children, a student in JCPS, was shot and killed — an innocent young man was shot and killed on the street corner in Louisville, Kentucky, waiting for the school bus — and the argument we are having right now is about school resource officers," Pollio told reporters days after the shooting.. "... We have no idea whether that would have had impact on this specific scenario or not."

Smith's family members said they just wanted relief from the grief of losing their loved one.

"It's no excuse ... no explanation, none of that ... period," Anderson said.

Beyond the flowers, balloons and well-wishes lies the legacy of a young man she said had a heart of gold.

"They're like, 'Do you have 50 cent or a dollar?' and he would go in his pocket and give it to them," she said. "And if he couldn't do anything to help you, he sure wouldn't hurt you."

This story may be updated.

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