Praying for My Family: Remembering Baby Zymir Demarco Smith and Standing with Hunter Shandrell and Shereece Smith
SPARTANBURG, SC — Our hearts are shattered, and our souls are heavy with grief as we ask for prayers and support for our family—especially for our dear cousins, Hunter Shandrell and Shereece Smith, who are now living every parent’s worst nightmare. In the early morning hours of Sunday, August 3, 2025, tragedy struck in the most unimaginable way when innocent life was stolen by gun violence.
At approximately 4:15 a.m., officers from the Spartanburg Police Department responded to a report of gunfire at 314 Collins Avenue, Apartment B, within the city limits of Spartanburg. What they encountered was nothing short of heartbreaking. Upon arrival, officers found clear signs of violence: shattered glass, shell casings, and a trail of blood leading further into the apartment. Following it, they came upon the most unthinkable discovery—a seven-month-old infant, struck by a bullet, lying unresponsive inside the home.
That child—our beautiful baby boy—was Zymir Demarco Smith. Despite the immediate arrival of emergency medical services, and all efforts to save him, Zymir was pronounced deceased shortly thereafter. He was just a baby—an innocent, bright-eyed child who had only begun his journey in this world. He was sleeping beside his mother when his short life was ended by a hail of gunfire, a consequence of cruelty and cowardice committed by unknown individuals who showed no regard for life or innocence.
According to preliminary findings, Zymir and his mother were asleep in their home when multiple rounds were fired into the residence from outside. It was an act of indiscriminate and senseless violence, and the Spartanburg Police Department is treating this case with the highest urgency.
“This is a senseless and heartbreaking tragedy for our entire community,” said Major Art Littlejohn of the Spartanburg Police Department. “We will use every available resource to solve this case to determine who is responsible for this homicide. We are asking anyone with information, no matter how small it may seem, to come forward and assist in this investigation.”
This act didn’t just take a child—it devastated an entire family. Hunter and Shereece, who now face the unbearable task of burying their baby, are surrounded by loved ones trying desperately to hold them up through this time of immense sorrow. No words can fully capture the anguish of losing a child, especially one so young, so pure, and so full of promise. Zymir’s laughter, his little hands, his bright eyes—are memories now, left behind by bullets meant for no one, or everyone.
We must ask ourselves—How many more children must die? How many more families must gather around tiny caskets, grieving futures stolen by reckless violence?
The community has already begun to gather in mourning, and many are rallying around the family, offering prayers, meals, donations, and the strength of their presence. A memorial is forming at the apartment complex—balloons, flowers, stuffed animals, and handwritten messages in memory of a life that should have had many, many more days.
The Spartanburg Police Department continues to investigate, and they urge anyone with information—no matter how small—to come forward. You can contact the department at 864-596-2065 or submit tips anonymously.
In this moment, we lift up the Smith family, and we wrap our arms around Hunter and Shereece. We pray for their healing, for peace that may one day come, and for justice that must not be delayed. And we ask you—please—keep this family in your prayers. Say Zymir’s name. Honor his memory. And stand with us as we fight for safer communities where no child’s life is at risk in their own crib.
Rest in eternal peace, baby Zymir Demarco Smith. You were deeply loved, and you will never be forgotten. 🕊️💔
