Who was Eric Derell Smith? Louisiana double murder suspect, 30, who abducted infant dies in police shootout
BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI: A 30-year-old man who was believed to have killed two in a home near Baker, Louisiana, was killed after being pursued by police in Mississippi. According to reports, Eric Derell Smith was killed after his car crashed into an Interstate 10 median in Biloxi, Mississippi. It is unclear as of now if he was gunned down by the cops or killed himself.
The incident occurred on Monday, May 3, as cops were responding to a 911 call at a home around 11:30 am. Police then chased Smith, who crashed after a low-speed chase on the highway. He fled the home after taking a four-month-old infant, who sustained injuries and had to be taken to a local hospital.
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The two victims have been identified as Christin Parker, 32, and Brandon Parker, 26. Details of the shooting are scarce at the moment, but here's what we know about Smith.
Who is Eric Derell Smith?
The 30-year-old is a resident of Baton Rouge, 11 miles away from the home in Baker. Not much is known about Smith, who doesn't appear to have a social media presence. We couldn't find a Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn account in his name.
Smith does have one previous arrest, for a misdemeanor simple battery in 2017. According to The Advocate, Smith was arrested in March 2017 after an altercation at Jack in the Box in Baton Rouge. Court records show Smith worked at the restaurant at the time. Reportedly, he threw a cup at the manager leading to a minor cut on his fingers. Smith then punched the manager twice in the face, before fleeing. He made the $3,000 bail and was released. Courts records do not show how the case was resolved.
Baker shooting and death
On May 3, The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 hang-up call at a home on Richmond Street. According to local channel WBRZ, Smith entered the home and shot the two people, who are reportedly his ex-girlfriend and her nephew. He then fled in a blue Nissan Altima with a four-month-old child. At around 2:52 PM, cops were informed Smith "had been located on I-10 in Mississippi heading east and nearing Gulfport," according to the Biloxi Police Department press release.
As cops gave chase, Smith's car got stuck on the grass median. He then exited the car and was shot, leading to him being pronounced dead. The infant has been taken to a Biloxi hospital with injuries that have been described as "not life-threatening", and is reportedly in a "stable condition". It is unclear if the infant is related to Smith, or Parker.
Smith was chased by multiple agencies including the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Gulfport police, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. Some outlets, like Fox, have reported that one of the two victims is Smith's family, but we have not been able to verify this information. Right now, it is unclear why Smith shot Christin and Brandon, but early reports say it could be due to a domestic dispute.