FORT SMITH, Ark. — Loved ones continue to grieve and remember Bailey Smith,.
Sandra Romero is the oldest of 11 brothers and sisters, now missing Bailey Smith. Smith is the 15-year-old Juvenile shot and killed in Wednesday night's shooting.
"We were getting ready to eat dinner and I got a phone call from my sister. And she was crying saying our brother got shot," Romero said. "On our way to the hospital. We got a call saying that he had passed."
Officers found two juveniles with gunshot wounds in the 1400 block of North 36th Street. According to an affidavit, Bailey had wounds in the chest, back and wrist.
"It was a shot that was to kill him. It wasn't to scare him away or to injure him," Romero said.
Family and friends of the 15-year-old who was killed told 5NEWS the teen was trying to break up a large fight and protect his girlfriend from getting hurt when he was shot.
"It's definitely something he would do especially with someone that he loves dearly," Romero said.
Romero explained that the second juvenile shot was their brother who remains in the hospital, expected to recover.
"He came out with minor injuries and I do believe it's got a lot to do with Bailey protecting them," Romero said.
In the days following, Romero and her family reminisced on the memories made with Smith. She tells us he knew how to make them laugh or use his looks to his advantage. She says her one regret is that she didn't make enough of those memories with him.
"We all have these moments where it seems very, very real. And we break down and, and then the other moments, it's, it's like, he's not gone. That he's gonna show up at one of our houses," Romero said. "I would do anything to change it. My goal was to keep them safe."
Romero is thankful for all the support her family is receiving and believes it would've just been more difficult without it. She has organized a GoFundMe to pay for Bailey's funeral.
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