Shaniya Smith and Malik Jones, both 19, were killed Sunday as investigators continue searching for answers about what led to the gunfire.
WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — A West Memphis family is mourning two 19-year-old parents killed in a shooting Sunday, leaving their 1-year-old daughter without either parent as police continue investigating the deaths and prepare an adult criminal case against a teenage suspect.
Shaniya Smith and Malik Jones were found with gunshot wounds after officers responded to a home in the 500 block of Denton Street, according to West Memphis police. Emergency efforts were unsuccessful, and both died from their injuries. Family members said the two were the parents of a young daughter, making the consequences of the shooting extend beyond the two lives lost.
Police arrested 17-year-old Zaelyn Taylor Smith on Monday evening. Authorities said he faces two counts of first-degree murder, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a minor. West Memphis Police Capt. Eric Johnson said Tuesday that the teenager would be charged as an adult. The charges remain allegations, and the case has not been adjudicated.
Shaye Smith, Shaniya Smith’s mother, said Zaelyn Smith is her nephew. She said her daughter and Jones had been focused on raising their child before the shooting. Family members have since begun making funeral arrangements while also looking after the couple’s daughter.
The deaths have also affected people in the Denton Street neighborhood who knew the young parents. A resident interviewed after the shooting described the couple as longtime neighbors and spoke positively about them as parents. The resident said the loss was painful for people who had watched them grow up in the community.
Investigators returned to the area Tuesday as the criminal investigation continued. Officers and police dogs focused attention behind homes on Denton Street, where residents said a ditch or creek runs through the area. Authorities have not disclosed what investigators were seeking there or whether any evidence was recovered during that search.
The investigation began Sunday when officers were called to the Denton Street residence for a reported shooting. Police later searched for Zaelyn Smith and warned the public that he was considered armed and dangerous. At one point, officers surrounded a home on Weaver Street because they believed the suspect might be there, but they later determined he was not inside.
The search ended Monday evening when police said Smith was found in a backyard on O.K. Street and taken into custody around 7:50 p.m. His arrest shifted the case from a search for a suspect to an investigation focused on evidence, the circumstances surrounding the deaths and the criminal allegations that will be handled in court.
Several important questions remain unanswered. Police have not publicly announced a motive or released a detailed account of what happened immediately before the shooting. Authorities also have not explained the circumstances behind the aggravated assault allegation or the charge of endangering the welfare of a minor.
The family has established an online fundraiser intended to help with funeral costs and support the couple’s daughter. Police, meanwhile, have continued working the case and gathering information from the neighborhood as the family prepares to bury two young parents whose deaths occurred only a short time apart at the same home.
Zaelyn Smith remains accused of the killings and has not been convicted. Authorities have said the investigation is continuing, and no verified information reviewed Wednesday established a motive or the next scheduled court proceeding.
Author note: Last updated September 2, 2026.