Memorial held for slain student at Tuskegee University

The mother of a student slain while away at college says she just had to visit the spot where he died.

South Cobb High School football star Bobby "B.J." Smith was shot and killed near the Tuskegee University campus Friday night. The school held a memorial service for him on campus that his family attended.

Before the service, the Tuskegee senior finance major's family stopped by the spot where he lost his life. Channel 2s Tom Jones watched as his mother inspected a bullet hole in a trash dumpster near where he died.

"As a mother that wants to find the killer of her son I just wanted to see where my son died," Cynthia Smith said.

Family members said Smith was among hundreds of people at a block party in the parking lot of the Macon County Human Resources building. Someone started shooting and as B.J. ran for cover, he was hit in the back.

The family said police aren't telling them much, but they're hearing lots from students who were at the party.

"Somebody shot in the air causing the other man to start shooting in the crowd and he was running and shooting. That's what I was told, but I don't know how true that is," Smith's sister said.

As the family gathered in the parking lot, a man who lives in the apartment complex near the murder scene came out to greet them.

"I just want to say I'm deeply sorry for you all's loss," he said.

"Thank you so much," Cynthia Smith said.

The resident helped answer some of the family's questions.

"It's been years since a party has been here with that number of people," he said.

B.J.'s family then attended a memorial service held on campus for their son.


Cynthia Smith appreciated the love for her son.

"It means a lot to me that the college thought enough of B.J. to do this but I still want to find his killer," she said.

A university spokeswoman confirmed that the Alabama Bureau of Investigation spent the day on campus interviewing students and looking at videos and pictures taken at the party. The officers will be back on campus Wednesday.

WSBTV